The 12th meeting of the EU-Albania Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee was held in Tirana on 12-13 February. The committee reiterated its support towards opening Albania’s accession negotiations with the European Union. It called for the full implementation of the justice system reform, that will be proved only by a relevant and irreversible track record. The draft stresses the top rule of law priorities, as follows:
High ranking officials should not benefit from different treatment compared to ordinary citizens, should they be charged.
Albanian authorities must present tangible and sustainable results in the fight against corruption and organised crime performed by independent and impartial prosecutors and judges and to continue making efforts towards the establishment of a solid track record of effective pro-active investigations, prosecutions and final dissuasive convictions in cases of organised crime, corruption, money laundering, etc. at all levels and to ensure their irreversibility.
Fight against corruption, organized crime, money laundering, cultivation of cannabis and drug trafficking.
On the justice system reform:
The Committee underlines the need to see concrete results, notably on justice reform and the vetting of judges, prosecutors and legal advisors, which are at the core of the Commission’s conditional recommendation for the opening of accession negotiations.
The Committee calls on the Albanian executive and parliamentary authorities to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to the vetting bodies in all phases of the process, in order to ensure their continued and independent functioning: periodic need-assessments and reviews are necessary to guarantee such consistent allocation
On the fight against the cultivation of cannabis, drug trafficking, organized crime, and corruption:
The Committee reminds that there is a clear link between poverty, high unemployment, corruption and the flourishing cannabis trade.
The Committee expresses further concern and calls for consistent measures against all drugs, including hard drugs.
The Committee calls, therefore, to further strengthen measures aiming to eradicate irreversibly drug cultivation, production and trafficking, and particularly to identify, prosecute and convict through dissuasive sanctions the criminal networks behind the narcotics trade and to ensure in practice the freezing and confiscation of the criminal products, instrumentalities, and benefits of these criminal activities.
On unfounded asylum applications:
The Committee welcomes the decrease in the number of unfounded asylum applications by Albanian citizens in the EU Member States in 2017 and calls on the Albanian authorities to further address the causes of the still large number of applicants.
On concessions and public-private partnerships:
The Committee calls on the Albanian authorities to properly assess public investment and strengthen PPP oversight.
On the restitution and compensation of property rights law:
The Committee calls on Albanian authorities to implement the Constitutional Court’s decision on the new law on the restitution and compensation of property rights and to show an increased track record on these matters.
On the freedom of the press:
The Committee underlines that better implementation of legislation guaranteeing freedom of expression is needed, including the implementation of the labor code to strengthen the protection of labor and social rights of Albanian journalists and show a positive track record on these matters.
On the electoral reform and the political climate:
The Committee recalls that political debate shall take place within Parliament with full respect of existing laws and procedures.
The Committee insists on the need for a full follow-up on all OSCE/ODIHR recommendations and for the electoral reform to be implemented without delay and in due time before the next
Elections.
The Committee reminds that free and fair elections are essential for Albania’s further progress in the EU accession.
The Committee calls for a stronger role of the Albanian Parliament in the EU accession process, including monitoring the implementation of the reforms and their compliance with EU standards and ensure proper representation for the opposition.
On discrimination and domestic violence:
The Committee calls the Albanian authorities to take effective measures to fight the increasing domestic violence and eradicate social exclusion, discrimination and incidents of hate speech against Roma and Egyptian population, persons with disabilities, LGBTI people and other vulnerable groups.
