Reuters: Brussels criticizes Tirana for Zvërnec, environment a condition for EU membership

The European Commission has sent a strong signal to the Albanian government regarding the controversial luxury resort project in Zvërnec, stressing that Albania must act without delay to comply with European Union environmental legislation.

In a report by Reuters , Brussels officials recall that advancing the integration process also depends on meeting environmental standards, while the project supported by the company linked to Jared Kushner continues to cause strong protests and debates in the country.

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The European Commission has called on Albania to act without delay to ensure it complies with EU environmental legislation if it wants to join the bloc, a Commission spokesman said on Tuesday, commenting on a luxury resort planned with Kushner's support.

On Monday, Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama told Reuters in an interview that the country will move forward with a luxury resort planned by US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his daughter Ivanka Trump, on a remote stretch of the Balkan coast, despite protests over the environmental impact.

The protests have been dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution” because the coastal area is a migration stopover for the birds. They have expanded into a broader opposition to some aspects of Rama’s 13-year rule.

The 27-nation EU has said it could accept new members, including Montenegro, Albania and Ukraine, by 2030, but this depends on alignment with EU laws, including environmental ones.

“Albania must avoid actions that could undermine the fulfillment of the criteria for closing the chapters, and we expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay,” said spokesman Guillaume Mercier.

"We are in contact with the Albanian authorities on this issue," he added.

In the face of protests over the past week in Tirana and on the southern coast, where the resort is proposed, Rama downplayed environmental concerns and said that an environmental impact assessment will be conducted.

“We are very proud of what we have done for wildlife in Albania. The European Commission has no reason to doubt our strong will to protect everything that needs to be protected when it comes to nature and wildlife,” he said.

Kushner's company, Affinity Partners, which is expected to build the resort, did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.