I. Introduction The Republic of Albania embarked on its journey towards European integration with the 2006 signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement(SAA), which officially came into force in 2009. Since 2014, Albania has held the status of a candidate country, expressing its intention to accede to the European Union. This endeavour encompasses multifaceted commitments, with Article 70 of the SAA establishing an essential legal obligation for Albania: harmonizing its domestic legislation with that of the EU. Such legislative alignment, coupled with effective implementation, is anticipated to catalyse economic growth, bolster trade relations with the EU, enhance Albanians’ quality of life and ultimately pave the way for the country's accession into the EU. Under the aegis of candidate status and the clearly articulated political resolve to join the EU, a second layer of commitment to align national legislation with the EU acquis emerges. While this commitment may not possess the same legally binding force as Article 70 of the SAA, it carries a broader scope. The EU accession process necessitates the comprehensive transposition of the entire corpus of EU acquis into Albania’s national legal framework. In October 2018, the European Commission initiated explanatory meetings within the screening process as the first step of accession negotiations. Explanatory meetings for all negotiating chapters were completed by 2019. 0F 1 The explanatory meetings were a major step forward, giving new impetus to fulfil the conditions for the opening of accession negotiations and the process of harmonization of legislation. Following these explanatory meetings, the Albanian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs initiated preparations for bilateral meetings. In a momentous development in March 2020, the European Council resolved to initiate accession negotiations with the Republic of Albania. However, the timing of the first inter-governmental conference for Albania was contingent upon the commencement of negotiations with North Macedonia, an eventuality hindered by a Bulgarian veto. Consequently, the Council ratified the negotiating framework for Albania and eventually stipulated the date for the first inter-governmental conference on 18 July 2022. On 19 July 2022, the EU held the first Intergovernmental Conference(IGC) with Albania in Brussels. In September 2022, the screening process recommenced for Albania and North Macedonia. The Commission, taking into account that the explanatory meetings were held more than two years prior, decided to hold“updating” explanatory meetings for almost all negotiating chapters. These explanatory meetings were then followed by bilateral meetings. 1 Decision of Council of Ministers dt 09.02.2022, National Plan for EU Integration 2022-2024. | THE NEED FOR A STRENGTHENED ACCOUNTABILITY AGENDA| 4