TIRANA, Albania — Albania cleared the first hurdle on its long path to European Union membership Tuesday, with the EU granting candidate status on the country’s fourth try since 2009.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule said in a Twitter post the decision represented an “acknowledgement of reform efforts” by Albania in its effort to become a member of the EU, a bloc of half a billion people that forms the world’s biggest economy.

However, candidate status doesn’t automatically lead to membership. For that, Albania will have to meet many requirements in tackling crime and corruption, and reshaping its judiciary and administration to European standards, which could take years.