2022 Report on Albania
and delivered some results. These efforts need to continue. However, greater political will, further
structured efforts, and adequate resources and skills remain necessary. The SPAK Court delivered
several important final decisions on high-ranking state officials, including a former Minister of the
Interior and a former Prosecutor General. Although the vetting of members of the judiciary is an
administrative process, it continues to bring results in the fight against corruption within the
judiciary. A new General Anti-Corruption Directorate was created in the Ministry of Justice. Overall,
despite some progress, corruption remains an area of serious concern. Increasing the number of final
convictions of high-level officials remains an important priority to further tackle a culture of impunity.
The sectors that are most vulnerable to corruption require targeted risk assessment and dedicated
measures.
Albania has some level of preparation in the fight against organised crime. It made some progress
in meeting last year's recommendations. Strong and fruitful cooperation with EU Members States,
Europol and Eurojust has led to tangible results. Albania continued to show commitment to counter
the production and trafficking of cannabis. Good progress was made on the seizure and confiscation
of assets related to organised crime. This effort must continue in the future. Efforts also need to
continue to ensure increased prosecutions and final convictions, especially at high-level. Countering
cybercrime, trafficking in human beings and money laundering remain areas in which additional
results are needed. The phenomenon of child sexual abuse online remains a concern. The country
progressed steadily in the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Action Plan to
improve effectiveness in the field of anti-money laundering, but Albania remained on the list of
jurisdictions under increased monitoring. Financial investigations need to accompany systematically
criminal proceedings. Albania adopted a new national cross-sector counter-terrorism strategy and
action plan in December 2020.
On fundamental rights, Albania complies overall with international human rights instruments and
has ratified most international conventions on the protection of fundamental rights. Some progress
was made in using alternatives to detentions and, in particular, in developing the probation service,
which remains fully operational, including for juvenile offenders. Albania adopted a new lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) action plan, which includes measures to fight
discrimination, improve access to services and approve the legal gender recognition law and a
national action plan for equality, inclusion and participation of Roma and Egyptians. Enhanced efforts
to consolidate property rights through the registration and digitalisation of cadastral data are needed
and the sector remains prone to corruption, while the compensation process has stalled. On the
protection of national minorities, Albania adopted a new piece of implementing legislation that
creates a fund for civil society projects in support of minority rights. However, adoption of the
remaining implementing legislation, including on freedom to self-identify as a member of a national
minority and on the use of minority languages, is still pending. Preparations for the long awaited
population and housing census continued, including with pilot censuses in minority population areas,
however the census was postponed to 2023. Further actions need to be taken to strengthen data
protection and align national legislation with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Albania has some level of preparation/is moderately prepared in the area of freedom of expression.
No progress was made in the reporting period. The intersection of business and political interests
continued to hamper media independence and the quality of journalism. Disinformation including
smear campaigns are recurrent, especially in online media whose self-regulation needs to be
ensured. The atmosphere of verbal attacks, smear campaigns and acts of intimidation against
journalists has not improved. Any changes to the Media Law need to be in line with the Venice
Commission opinion and must be submitted for consultation with media organisations. It remains
important to ensure that the media have direct and transparent access to governmental institutions
and their activities. The regulatory performance of the Audio-visual Regulatory Authority (AMA)
needs to be improved and the independence and resources of the public service broadcaster should
be strengthened.
Albania adopted a new and better-budgeted national strategy on gender equality and continues its
efforts to ensure adequate state funding to implement it at central and local level. Efforts are needed
to ensure that all national strategies at central and local level are gender mainstreamed and spend
budget in ways that take gender into account. On citizenship, Albania should refrain from developing
an investors' citizenship scheme (golden passports) as it would pose risks as regards security,
money laundering, tax evasion, terrorist financing, corruption and infiltration by organised crime, and
would be incompatible with the EU acquis.
On migration, the legal framework on migration is largely aligned with the EU acquis but needs
updating, and must provide a clear framework for managing and coordinating migration. The number
of irregular migrants apprehended in Albania in 2021 decreased by about 15% compared with 2020.
No progress was made in referrals to asylum procedure and the implementation of return procedures
in line with the legal framework. Albania's visa policy should be aligned with the EU one.View entire presentation