Albania’s challenge for access and competitiveness in EU Market: When good will requires more than legal regulation. An inside of Albania’s efforts to increase the presence of its domestic product in EU markets.

Abstract

Albania has experienced a difficult transition period, characterized by efforts to establish an economic system oriented towards the free market. Despite the difficulties encountered during the transition process, Albania has made progress in the macroeconomic stability and structural reforms. Nowadays, the economy of our country has become an integral part of initiatives for liberalizing and facilitating trade with countries of the European Union. Active participation in these initiatives increases the possibilities of our economy to be specialized and simultaneously requires commitment towards increasing competitiveness. For each country, foreign trade indicators reflect the level of economic development and mutual profit, which is why the analysis and evaluation of commercial indicators have a special importance. Albania now faces a new challenge of increasing the competitiveness in the international market and the aim of entering the European Union. As it is widely known, foreign trade is a very important factor that affects the growth of a country and reflects the increase of competitive ability. Foreign trade developments constitute an important component of overall economic developments in general and the external sector in particular. Foreign trade is of particular importance for the economies of small dimensions, such as that of our country. The performance in export of Albanian goods plays an important role in the perspective and sustainable development of the country’s economy, as well as in the trade balance in order to be able to face the European competition. The export growth rate in several years is an important indicator on the progress of which, one can judge the stability and sustainability of the economy in general and its ability to compete in the EU market, but it also reflects in a very direct and close way the conjuncture of European common market.