On 17 October, the European Commission further advanced the screening process with Albania and North Macedonia. Screening is the first step in the accession negotiation process, and the screening process is structured along six thematic clusters. These clusters encompass the relevant acquis chapters along broad themes related to good governance, the internal market, economic competitiveness and connectivity.

Experts from the European Commission, Albania and North Macedonia have begun examining EU laws and policies under Cluster 3 on Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth. This cluster encompasses digital transformation and media, science and research, and enterprise and industrial policy, as well as social policy and employment, and education and culture. Chapters include the customs union, economic and monetary policy, and taxation.

The analytical examination of the body of EU laws (acquis), the so-called screening, enables candidate countries to familiarise themselves with the EU laws and standards and the obligations they entail. It also allows examination of the countries’ levels of preparedness and plans for further alignment, and thus offers preliminary indications of the issues most likely to come up in the negotiations.