EU Integration and Judicial Reform: Cross-Country Lessons drawn from the Romanian and Albanian Perspectives

Romania and Albania, both former communist countries, have pursued European integration as a strategic goal to enhance democratic reforms and boost economic development. Romania joined the EU in 2007, while Albania became an EU candidate country in 2014, and is slowly advancing towards EU accession. Their shared history of authoritarianism and transition highlights the opportunities and challenges encountered while aligning with EU standards. Based on a comparative study, this research aims to present the most prominent criterion for EU accession, that of a consolidated judiciary, from the perspectives of an EU Member State and an EU candidate country respectively. Could the standards of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) – instituted for Romania and Bulgaria, at the time of their EU accession and formally closed in September 2023 – inspire reform criteria for the admission of EU’s candidate countries? The analysis seeks to identify arguments that could seriously influence Albania’s judicial reform. Moreover, it aims to broaden EU’s outlook on reform strategies applicable to other Western Balkan countries.