Stabilization and Association Committee in Strasbourg, Zhupa: Custom-made laws to empower the clients of power

At the Stabilization and Association Committee in Strasbourg, Democratic Party MP Ina Zhupa referred to the problems with the strategic investment law, cannabis licenses, and the amendment to the law on protected areas.

Zhupa raised concerns that the government, with its policies, clearly shows that it is not concerned about the environment, nor does it prioritize tourism and sustainable development, but is concerned about enriching clients and oligarchs who provide them with money and votes, and prioritizes maintaining power at all costs.

Full speech:

Tourism in Albania continues to be an unprioritized and unregulated sector. Partial reforms, selective model and above all the inclusion of corrupt and preferential schemes of "strategic investments". The latter have benefited from this status not infrequently in the marked absence of competitive procedures and public transparency, but above all by persons vested with political power as in the case of the husband of the former Foreign Minister Mrs. Xhacka or the laundering of money from organized crime through individuals presta nome without a history of justifiable financial capital.

In these 12 years there has been no long-term strategy and the policies undertaken have been more of a partial nature and favoring the construction of government clients on public lands with the strategic investment law. These oligarchs were used as undeclared sponsors of the Socialist Party campaign to preserve the privileges obtained preferentially over the public interest.

Albania has amended the “Protected Areas” law, which in fact removes the protection of these areas and paves the way for the construction of villa complexes, hotels, resorts, and is the other side of the strategic investment law. The law brings degrading consequences to the environment and violates Article 108 of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, a provision that refers to “environmental degradation”. The law “does not aim at approximating EU legislation”, but does the opposite, has an “extending” effect with EU legislation and the Acquis communautaires, provisions that are binding even for countries like Albania, which have ratified the SAA. The opposition has filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court regarding this law.

In all progress reports on Albania, the construction of the Vlora airport in a lagoon, in a protected area, is always raised as a concern, and construction is required in another area that does not harm nature.

Parliament is formalizing public consultation practices, where none of the suggestions are taken into account. Laws are passed as they come from the government, where they are often laws made to order by the clients of power. It is enough to bring to attention the law on protected areas, the law on the concession of Butrint, the law on gambling, the law on strategic investments, the law on the Vlora airport, the Fusha law on the national theater, the law on the Academy of Sciences, etc. Where despite public objections from all actors, factors, interest groups and internationals, they still pass easily without taking anything into account.

Regarding the environment, the government seems to have understood that greening can also be the planting of cannabis. In the election year, it has been determined to plant at least 1 billion and 200 thousand cannabis roots, more than ever before in history… And all of them here, no longer clandestine plants, but plants planted with a state certificate. The government has illegally distributed permits for the planting of over 29,000 hectares of drugs, while the law only provides for 200 hectares in total. This action is a form of massive vote buying, contrary to the law and international conventions.

Waste Management and Pollution remain an important criterion. In Albania, there is a lack of an effective system for waste management and environmental pollution, especially on the coast and protected areas. This problem is also mentioned in the European Union report “Tourism in Albania: Sustainable Growth and Jobs” (2021), which highlights the negative impact of pollution on the perception of Albania as a clean and natural destination. Vlora at this time of the season often wakes up with massive waste burning that causes unimaginable pollution in one of the most touristic areas of the country.

In Albania, millions of euros were spent and continue to be spent on introducing the incineration method. In fact, no incinerator is functioning, neither the one in Elbasan, nor the one in Fier, nor the one in Tirana, and it does not even exist, and it takes 80,000 euros every day from citizens' taxes. A 400 million euro affair and the waste problem has already become a problem of corruption, in addition to not being solved.

The government, with its policies, clearly shows that it is not concerned about the environment, nor does it prioritize tourism and sustainable development, but is concerned about enriching the clients and oligarchs who provide it with money and votes, and prioritizes maintaining power at all costs.