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Albania

This page gathers key information on Albania's negotiations to join the WTO.  Albania became the 138th WTO Member on 8 September 2000.

> Page for Albania as a Member

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WTO accession process in brief

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Albania's Timeline

I. Overview
GATT application received 20/11/1992  L/7120
GATT accession Working Party established 2-3/12/1992  L/7120
GATT terms of reference & accession Working Party membership  16/12/1992  L/7154
WTO application received & WTO accession Working Party established  20/01/1995  WT/L/24 (Request to transform the Working Party on the Accession of Albania to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1947 into a WTO accession Working Party. As per document WT/L/24, the Working Party on the Accession of Albania to the GATT 1947 was transformed into a WTO Accession Working Party, in accordance with the decision adopted by the General Council on 31 January 1995. Document WT/L/24 also reproduced the name of the Chairperson and the terms of reference of the Working Party.)
WTO terms of reference & accession Working Party membership  06/05/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/5  + ( revisions)
Chairperson of the Accession Working Party     
1st 02/1995 - 07/2000 Mr Antonio PINTO DE LEMOS (Portugal)
Formal Meetings of the Working Party Date of the meeting Convening notice Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation Statement(s) by Working Party members Delegation list Other documents for the meeting News item
1st 30/04/1996
2nd 26/10/1996
3rd 27/01/1999
4th 30/04/1999
5th 09/07/1999
6th 30/07/1999
7th 17/09/1999
8th 03/07/2000
Informal Meetings of the Working Party Date of the meeting Convening fax Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
Plurilateral Meetings Date of the meeting Convening fax Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation
II. Multilateral Negotiations
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR)  25/01/1995  L/7613   (+  corrigendum)
— updated information 26/08/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/25
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR 13/09/1995  WT/ACC/ALB/3
13/02/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/4   (+  corrigendum)
08/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.1
11/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.2
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.3
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.4
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.5
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.6
14/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.7
16/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.8
23/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/8/Add.9
04/08/1997  WT/ACC/ALB/23
22/04/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/23/Rev.1
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/29
Factual Summary of Points Raised  13/04/1999 Informal circulation.
Additional Questions & Replies 05/07/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/39
20/08/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/39/Add.1
05/10/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/49
Elements of a Draft Report of the Working Party 
Draft Report of the Working Party  05/07/1999  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/6  (+  revisions & corrigenda)
Agriculture (WT/ACC/22/Add.1), including Questions and Replies  25/08/1998  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/4  (+  revisions & corrigenda)
31/05/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/9
30/07/1996  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/1  (+  addendum & corrigendum)
SPS Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2 30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/31  (+  revisions)
TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2 30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/32  (+  revisions)
TRIPS Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22/Add.2 03/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/36 
Import Licensing Procedures Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions 09/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/19
Customs Valuation Checklist (WT/ACC/22 + revisions 24/09/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/16
State-Trading Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions 23/09/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/13  (+  addendum)
Draft Subsidies Notification (WT/ACC/22/Add.2
Comprehensive Legislative Action Plan (LAP)  30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/33  (+  revisions & corrigenda)
Rule-specific Action Plans 
Legislation and implementing regulations    Click for details Legislation notice Notified legislation
13/03/1995  WT/L/56
  •  Law No. 7599, dated 2 September 1992, on Customs Code (French only)
  •  Explanatory Notes to the Albanian Tariff Schedule (General Rules for the Interpretation of the Albanian Tariff Law No. 7733, dated 20 July 1993)
  •  Law on Foreign Investments
  •  Law No. 7681, dated 4 March 1993, on the Administration of Taxes
  •  Decree No. 47 of the Council of Ministers, dated 7 February 1994, on Assessment Criteria of State Property to be Privatized or Bound to in Joint Ventures and the Fixing of Rentals for the State Objects Given for Use to a Third Party
14/09/1995  WT/ACC/ALB/3/Add.1
  •  Regulations for the Granting of a Licence to Operate as a Private Bank in the Republic of Albania, approved in June 1995
  •  Albanian Procurement Law, approved by the Albanian Parliament on 26 July 1995
13/05/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/6
  •  Tariff Schedule
  •  Law for Customs Valuation
  •  Law on Free Trade Zones
  •  Law on Priority Tourism Development Zones
  •  Administrative Rules of the Department of Banking Supervision
  •  Law on Industrial Property
25/07/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/12
  •  3 diskettes containing import and export statistics for 1995-1996
  •  Statistics 1, 2, 3, 4 - January-December 1995, published by the Albanian Institute of Statistics
  •  Main Economic Indicators October-December 1995, published by the Albanian Institute of Statistics
  •  Quarterly Statistical Bulletin No.2 on Balance of Payments - December 1995, published by the Albanian National Bank
  •  The Albanian tariff schedule 1995
  •  Law No. 4625 of 24 December 1969 (Decree No. 7373 of 13 January 1990) On Veterinary Services
  •  Law No. 7941 of 31 May 1995 On Food
  •  Law No. 7659 of 12 January 1993 On Seeds and Seedlings
  •  Law No. 7662 of 19 January 1993 On Plants Protection Services
06/11/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/20
  •  Law on Standardisation and Related Activities
  •  Law for Activities of Insurance and Reinsurance
  •  Law on Copyright
  •  Overview on Privatization Process in Albania
  •  Legal Acts of Albania Related to International Trade, March - October 1996
  •  Regulation for the Granting of a License to Operate as a Bank in the Republic of Albania
  •  The Strategy of State Banks Privatization
  •  Law on Value Added Tax
  •  1995 Annual Report for Social Insurance
  •  1995 Insurance Institute Annual Report
  •  Export - Import data for 1996 (diskette only)
21/05/1997  WT/ACC/ALB/22  Unofficial translation of the Law on State Enterprises
22/04/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/23/Rev.1
  •  Law on Customs Tariffs
  •  Law No. 7609 and amendments Law on Priority Tourism Development Zones (Law No. 7665) and amendments
  •  Law for Telecommunications and amendments (Law No. 8038)
  •  Law on Competition
  •  Law No. 8044 Law on Insurance and Re-insurance Companies (Law No. 8081)
  •  Law on Customs Valuation (Law No. 8187)
  •  Customs Code – draft
  •  Law on Excise Taxes (Law No. 7678) and amendments
  •  Law on the Bank of Albania (Law No. 8269)
  •  Strategy on Privatization
  •  Law on Privatization
  •  Maritime Code – draft
  •  Law on Standardization – draft
  •  Decree on the Code of Good Practice for Preparation, Adoption and Application of Standards
25/08/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/24
  •  Customs Code of the Republic of Albania
  •  Economic Policies and Development Tendencies of Albania in the Short and Medium Term
  •  Mission Report on Maritime Legislation
  •  Privatization Strategy of State Owned Companies in Primary Importance Sectors (December 1997)
  •  Law No. 8301 "On Customs Duties Changes for Some Agricultural Inputs" (12 March 1998)
  •  Law on Industrial Property (8 June 1994)
  •  Law No. 8308 for Road Transports (18 March 1998)
  •  Law No. 7923 for some Changes to Law No. 7564 of 19 May 1992 For Copyright (19 April 1995)
  •  Law No. 8348 on Excise Taxes in the Republic of Albania
  •  Law on Value Added Tax
  •  Law No. 8306 on the Privatization Strategy of Primary Importance Sectors (14 March 1998)
  •  Law No. 8334 on the Privatization of Commercial Enterprises which Function in Non strategic Sectors (23 April 1998)
  •  Law No. 8365 banking Law of the Republic of Albania (2 July 1998)
  •  Law No. 8112 on Some Changes in the Law 7971 of 26 July 1995, on Public Procurement, and Amended with Law 8074 of 22 February 1996 (28 March 1996)
  •  Law for the Legal Profession in the Republic of Albania
  •  Law No. 7829 for Notary (1 June 1994)
  •  Law No. 7908 on Fishery and Aquaculture (5 April 1995)
  •  Law for the Veterinary Service and Inspectorate (1993)
  •  Law No. 7810 of Higher Education in the Republic of Albania (6 April 1994)
  •  Draft Law on Undistributed Agricultural Lands
  •  Draft Law on Leasing Agricultural Land, Forest Land, Meadows and Pastures which are State Property
  •  Draft Law for the Transfer of Ownership of Agricultural Land, Meadows, Pastures and Forests
  •  Draft Law on the Entry, Sojourn and Employment of Foreigners in the Republic of Albania
  •  Draft Law on the Telecommunications Regulatory Body
  •  Draft Law for Standardization and Related Activities
14/12/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/26
  •  Draft Law on Tertiary Education in Albania
26/01/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/26/Add.1
  •  Law on Excises in the Republic of Albania
  •  Republic of Albania People's Assembly, Accounting Law No. 7661 of 19 January 1993
  •  Law on Commercial Companies No. 7638 of 19 November 1992
  •  Fiscal Statistics of Government 1998
27/01/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/26/Add.2
  •  Constitution of the Republic of Albania
01/02/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/26/Add.3
  •  Trade Statistics 1994-1998
05/02/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/27
29/04/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/33/Add.1
  •  Law No. 8466 dated 24 March 1999 (04-22) on Antidumping
30/04/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/37/Add.1
  •  Customs Code on the Republic of Albania
08/06/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/38
28/06/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/41
30/09/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/47
  •  Draft Decision of the Council of Ministers on Implementing Provisions of the Customs Code
30/09/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/48
  •  Decision No. 435 dated 9 September 1999 for the Approval in Principle of the Document on the Rules of Origin, as Part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement
23/06/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/50
  •  Draft Law on The Supplement to the Law No. 8449, dated 27 January 1999 on Custom Code of the Republic of Albania
  •  Draft Decision on The Supplement to the Council of Ministers Decision No. 205, dated 13 April 1999 on Implementing Provisions of the Custom Code
Consultation documents    Click for details Consultation notice Notified consultation document
16/05/1995  WT/ACC/ALB/1 (+  revisions)
  •  Checklist of documents
17/05/1995  WT/ACC/ALB/2
  •  Note on Intellectual property and Note on TRIMS
24/06/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/10
  •  Summaries of the main laws and other legal acts, related to the establishment of a market economy in Albania
30/05/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/7
  •  Communication from Albania - Services Offer
10/07/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/11
  •  Data on Albanian trade performance
24/09/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/15
  •  Information on Technical Barriers to Trade
24/09/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/14
  •  Note on Services
25/09/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/17
  •  Information on the basic legal framework for privatisation in agriculture
09/10/1996  WT/ACC/ALB/18
  •  Information on the Regulation of Pesticides in Agriculture and on the Registration of Pharmaceuticals
26/08/1998  WT/ACC/ALB/25
  •  Information concerning the economy and the foreign trade regime
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/28
  •  Information Concerning Progress in the Privatisation Process
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/30
  •  Memorandum on Conformity with Trade-Related Investment Measures
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/34 (+  corrigendum & revision)
  •  Memorandum on Restrictions and Prohibition for Exportable Products
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/35 (+  revision)
  •  Memorandum on Restrictions and Prohibition for Importable Products
30/03/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/36
  •  Memorandum on Conformity of Trade–Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) With the WTO
29/04/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/37
  •  Customs Tariff
23/06/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/40 (+  revisions)
  •  Chart on draft laws
02/07/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/42
  •  Memorandum on Compliance with the Agreement on Government Procurement
03/09/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/43
  •  Information related to the Customs Code
17/09/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/44
  •  Additional Information on Trade and Investment Agreements
30/09/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/46
  •  Implementing Provisions of the Customs Code
01/10/1999  WT/ACC/ALB/45
  •  Note to the WTO Secretariat on the Changes to Albanian Documentation from the Sixth Working Party Session
III. Bilateral Market Access Negotiations 
Goods Offer(s)  14/05/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/3  (+  revisions, addendum & corrigendum)
Services Offer(s)  14/05/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/2
Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements 
Draft Goods Schedule  14/05/1997  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/3/Rev.6  (+  corrigenda)
Draft Services Schedule  25/08/1998  WT/ACC/SPEC/ALB/5  (+  revisions & corrigenda)
Goods and Services Technical Verification Meetings 
IV. Summary of Final Meeting of the Working Party
V. Accession Package (“Terms of Accession”, de-restricted) 
Ministerial Conference/General Council Decision on the Accession 17 /07/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/52 (+  corrigendum)
Protocol of Accession  17 /07/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/53 (+  corrigendum)
Report of the Working Party 14/07/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/51 (+  corrigendum)
Goods Schedule (Schedule of Concessions and Commitments Annexed to the GATT 1994)  06/07/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/51/Add.1
Services Schedule (Schedule of Specific Commitments Annexed to the GATS)  13/07/2000  WT/ACC/ALB/51/Add.2 (+  corrigenda)
VI. Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB) 
Specific Accession Commitments   http://acdb.wto.org/ click on “Report by Member”, select “Albania” in drop down list then click on “View Report”
VII. Instrument of Acceptance 
Notification of Acceptance and Entry Into Force of the Protocol of Accession 09/08/2000  WT/LET/353
VIII. Date of Membership
  08/09/2000 138th Member News item
IX. Since 1995, this is the…
10th economy that joined the WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement.

Note:
The de-restriction of documents is a key component of the transparency obligations of the Multilateral Trading System.  Paragraphs 1 and 2(e) of the Ministerial Council Decision WT/L/452 of 14 May 2002 provide that “documents relating to working parties on accession shall be restricted and shall be automatically de-restricted upon the adoption of the report of the working party” by the Ministerial Conference/General Council.  The time of completion of the de-restriction process depends on the amount and complexities of the documents involved.  Prior to 2002, the de-restriction of accession-related documents was governed by a different set of rules (i.e. General Council Decision WT/L/160/Rev.1 of 26 July 1996), which only affect documents circulated prior to 2002.