EU Ambassador Salutes Albanian Journalists Training to Report on EU Integration

June 26, 2026

As Albania continues its preparations to join the European Union, 20 journalists covering politics, integration, institutions, and socio-economic affairs in Albania-together with a representative of the Media and Information Agency-were this week certified in "Reporting Effectively on the EU Integration Process."

The certification ceremony at the College of Europe in Tirana was attended by the EU Ambassador to Albania, Silvio Gonzato.

Silvio Gonzato, EU Ambassador to Albania

"The accession process is not just something done amongst technocrats, it is really a transformational process," said Ambassador Gonzato. "For people to understand what lies behind the reforms, and to own these reforms, you need information. That is why journalists are the bridge builders: you can contribute to a better understanding by ordinary citizens of what this whole process is about."

The two-part training program was delivered by the College of Europe under the EU Integration Support (EUIS) Project, implemented by DAI, Abkons, and WeGlobal.

The first phase took place in March 2026 in Tirana. This month's concluding phase focused on how to interpret EU reports and benchmarks, the main negotiating chapter clusters, the alignment of Albanian legislation with the EU acquis, and issues relating to disinformation and anti-EU narratives.

"Access to verified, non-biased information is extremely important for our democratic societies," Ambassador Silvati told the participants. "You should see yourselves as one of the pillars of democratic societies today."

"Media freedom and freedom of expression are absolutely core values in the accession process," he added, "and we want this process to be as transparent and inclusive as possible."

In addition to the certificate award ceremony on June 16, the training's conclusion featured exchanges with the European Parliament's Communication team, the EU Delegation to Albania, the College of Europe, and the EUIS project team.