The latest progress-report of the European Commission states that Albania has made good progress in the judicial system as it has continued to implement comprehensive judicial reform. 

One of the main achievements in the judiciary is considered the appointment of three new judges in the Constitutional Court, which enabled it to have a quorum of six judges in order to hold meetings, reports Radio Free Europe. 

Regarding vetting, the report states that 62 percent of cases that have undergone vetting have resulted in either dismissal or resignation. 

The EC says that Albania has made progress in strengthening the fight against corruption and has made good progress in the fight against organized crime, noting good results in this regard. 

However, there is criticism in terms of verbal attacks, defamation campaigns and threats against journalists. 

"Tensions between political actors and journalists have risen during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the context of parliamentary elections," the report said. 

The EC also points out that the number of asylum seekers in the EU from Albania has decreased by 66 percent in 2020 compared to 2019, respectively from 20,415 to 6,935 asylum seekers.