RESTRICTED  
  
WT/TPR/G/449  
18 October  2023 
(23-6999) Page: 1/23 
Trade Policy Review Body   Original: English  
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW  
REPORT BY  
ALBANIA  
Pursuant to the Agreement Establishing the Trade Policy Review Mechanism (Annex  3 of the 
Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization), the policy statement by Albania  
is attached.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note: This report is subject to restricted circulation and press embargo until the end of the first 
session of the meeting of the Trade Policy Review Body on Albania . WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  Contents  
1   INTRODUCTION  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  4 
2   ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  ................................ ................................ ..........................  4 
2.1   Macroeconomic stability  ................................ ................................ ..............................  4 
2.1.1   Monetary policy and inflation  ................................ ................................ ....................  5 
2.1.2   Fiscal policy  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  6 
2.2   Structural reforms  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 7 
2.2.1   Energy sector reform  ................................ ................................ ...............................  7 
2.2.2   Digitalisation  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  7 
2.2.3   Anticorruption  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  8 
2.2.4   Justice system reform  ................................ ................................ .............................  9 
2.2.5   Tourism reform  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 9 
2.3   Private sector development  ................................ ................................ ........................  10 
2.3.1   Improving business environment  ................................ ................................ .............  10 
2.3.2   Strategic investments  ................................ ................................ .............................  10 
2.3.3   Technology and economic dev elopment zones  ................................ ............................  10 
2.3.4   Business registration and licensing  ................................ ................................ ...........  10 
2.3.5   Public -private dialogue  ................................ ................................ ...........................  11 
3   TRADE POLICY DEVELOPMENTS  ................................ ................................ ................  11 
3.1   Trade data  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  11 
3.2   Trade policy making and coordination  ................................ ................................ ..........  12 
3.2.1   Main trade policy advancement  ................................ ................................ ................  12 
3.2.1.1    Customs procedures  ................................ ................................ ............................  12 
3.2.1.2    Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  ................................ ................................ .... 13 
3.2.1.3    Standardization  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 14 
3.2.1.4    Technical regulation and accreditation  ................................ ................................ .... 14 
3.2.1.5    Competition policy  ................................ ................................ ..............................  15 
3.2.1.6    State aid  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............  15 
3.2.1.7    Intellectual property rights  ................................ ................................ ...................  15 
3.2.1.8    Agriculture and fisheries  ................................ ................................ .......................  17 
3.2.2   Trade in services  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 18 
3.2.2.1    Financial sector  ................................ ................................ ................................ ... 18 
3.2.2.2    Banking  ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  19 
3.2.2.3    Non-banking  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 19 
3.2.2.3.1    Electronic communication  ................................ ................................ ..................  20 
3.2.2.3.2    Postal service  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 21 
3.2.3   Trade policy coordination and monitoring  ................................ ................................ .. 21 
4   TRADE POLICY OBJECTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT  ................................ ......................  21 
4.1   Participation in WTO negotiations  ................................ ................................ ................  21 
4.2   Albania's accession process to the European  Union  ................................ ........................  22 WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  4.3   Regional integration  ................................ ................................ ................................ .. 22 
 
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  1  INTRODUCTION  
1.1.  Albania fully supports an open, non -discriminatory, and rules -based multilateral global trading 
system. Since its WTO membership in 2000, Albania  has implemented the obligations derived by 
the commitment undertaken in its membership and has been active at co-sponsoring different WTO 
initiatives. Albania has adhered at the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, accepted the 
schedule  CXLVI of the extension of the list of information technology agreement, WTO Joint 
Statement Initiative on Service Domestic Regulatio n, ratified the WTO  Agreement  on Subsidies in 
Fishing and is preparing the acceptance document. Since last year, Albania has accelerated the 
process for the accession to GPA . 
1.2.  Albania implements the free trade agreements with European  Union , Western Balkan (CEFTA), 
Türkiye, EFTA and after Brexit with Great Britain Albanian Trade Policy has followed a liberal 
approach in policy making, focusing more on trade facilitation than tariff reductions.  
1.3.  Around 98% of Albanian trade volume is done with trade partners w ith which Albania has FTAs. 
Exports of goods increased significantly during 2016 -22. European  Union  is the main trade partner 
for Albania. In 2022, 73.4% of total exports was oriented at EU and 51.6% of total imports came 
from EU.  
1.4.  According to the assessme nt of Heritage Foundation in the Economic Freedom report for 2023, 
Albania 's economic freedom score is 65.3, making its economy the 49th freest in the 2023 Index. 
Albania is ranked 27th freest among the 44  countries in the Europe region, and its overall sc ore is 
above the world average confirming the liberal trade regime Albania has.  
1.5.  Albanian macroeconomic stability has significantly improved over the last decade, and its 
economy showed resilience against the impact of external shocks, the latest being the earthquake 
in 2019, the COVID -19 pandemic 2020 -21 and the impact of the  Russian  invasion of Ukraine 
since 2022. The economy recovered rapidly in 2021, with real GDP growth of 8.9% and 4.86% 
in 2022. The expected growth for 2023 is 3.7% with the objective to go at 3.8% and 3.9% 
respectively in 2024 -25. 
1.6.  During the review period, the main structural reforms undertaken by Government of Albania 
consist in, among others, reforms in the energy sector, digitalization, anticorruption, justice system 
and t ourism sector. Other important reforms were undertaken in the areas of customs, 
anti-informality or government procurement. Transparency of public authorities, digitalization of the 
public services at the level of 95% of the total, improvement of the e -procurement system and 
functionalities, strengthening the integrity of central public institutions by adopting of integrity plans, 
enforcing of the cooperation of the criminal procedures of the corruption investigation, raising of the 
awareness and education against corruption are main field of a successful reform against corruption 
through the years. Fight against informality has continued through introducing IT system and 
digitalization.  
1.7.  On 19  July 2022, Government started the EU accession negotiations with the European  Union , 
at the first EU - Albania intergovernmental conference. Policies in Albania continue to be guided by 
the objective of becoming a European  Union member state.  
2  ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT  
2.1  Macroeconomic stability  
2.1.  The Albanian ma croeconomic stability has significantly improved over the last decade, and its 
economy showed resilience against the impact of external shocks, the latest being the earthquake 
in 2019, the COVID -19 pandemic 2020 -21 and the impact of the  Russian  invasion of  Ukraine 
since 2022. Over the decade 2012 -21, Albania 's real GDP growth averaged 2.5%. A period of low 
growth between 2012 and 2016 was followed by an economic upturn in 2017 and 2018, when growth 
at times reached around 4%. A drought and a major earthquak e slowed economic growth in 2019 
to 2.09%, followed by a 3.3% contraction in 2020 in the wake of the COVID -19. The economy 
recovered rapidly in 2021, with real GDP growth of 8.9% and 4.86% in 2022. The recovery of 
demand has been rapid and the output has a lready reached the pre -earthquake and pre -pandemic WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  level. The labour  market has also improved, with unemployment rate decreasing to 10.8% by the 
last quarter of 2022.  
2.2.  The country 's economy experienced a strong rebound in 2021 with real GDP growth of 8.9% 
and 4.86% in 2022. Main growth drivers were exports, private consumption and investments, fuelled  
by increasing employment and incomes. On the production side, growth was mainly supported by 
industry, construction, and services specially tourism. Also, even  under the influence of the latest 
global energy and commodity supply shock, which has led to a strong increase in the general level 
of prices as well as in a strong tightening of financial conditions, again so far, the main economic 
and financial fundamen tals and the general macroeconomic stability of the country has resisted 
relatively quite well against all these shocks.  
2.3.  The economy in 2022, in cumulative terms, recorded an economic growth of 4.86 %. The 
economic growth during the last years has had a bro ad basis distributed in all sectors of the 
economy, where the main contributors have been the "Construction" and "Trade, transport and 
accommodation" sectors, as a result of the expansion of investments in the economy and of good 
tourism activity. In 2022,  the construction sector has increased by 10.7%, industry has increased 
by 5.45%, wholesale trade has increased by 9.9%, information and communication by 9.6% and 
insurance financial activity by 9.1%. The only sector that had a slower performance was agric ulture, 
the result of which was mainly influenced by the increase in prices in the international and domestic 
markets. On the expenditure side, economic growth reflected the expansion of consumption and 
investments, respectively by 5.6% and 6.5%, reflectin g the strengthening of domestic demand as 
well as increased exports. It was mainly driven by the improvement of business and consumer 
confidence, by the recovery of the partner economies as well as by economic policies, particularly 
strong during the last two years.  
2.4.  As of May  2023, loan stock recorded an increase of 2.2% compared with May  2022. The stock 
of loans in domestic currency increased by 4.7%, while the stock in foreign currency decreased 
by 0.2%. The low loan growth reflects the high interest rate s environment, both internally and 
externally, due to high inflation rates and macroeconomic interventions for its management. The 
ratio of nonperforming loans is relatively low at 5.23%. Although it shows a decline from 5.44% in 
May 2022, during 2023 has recorded a slight growth of 0.23  p.p., which is however quite low due to 
the expectations of NPL growth as a result of large increase of interest rates. In terms of deposits, 
in May  2023 the total stock of bank deposits grew by 4.5% compared to May  2022. 
2.5.  The current account deficit has been on continuous narrowing trend since the end of 2015. 
Spearheaded by rapidly expanding tourism revenues and supported by remittances, the current 
account deficit has lowered from 7.6% as ratio to GDP in 2016, to 6.0% in 2 022. Save for a brief 
hiatus during the pandemic year (2020), current account improvements have been constant and 
even accelerating in the post pandemic (2021 -22). Additionally, inflows in financial account have 
been substantial. In particular, FDI inflows  have been constantly increasing and for several years 
have remained above the Euro  1 billion mark (in 2018 -19 and 2021 -22). On average, FDI inflows 
stood at 7.7% as a ratio to GDP and were able to singlehandedly finance the whole current account 
deficit. The inflows were first fostered by major projects in the energy sector, namely the 
Trans -Adriatic  Pipeline  (TAP) and hydropower investments which have combined for nearly 
EUR 2 billion. Additionally, since 2018, major inflows were associated with the "real estate " sector 
as non -residents are constantly purchasing resident homes in the country. In 2022, these inflows 
constitute the primary destination of FDIs. They are posed to continue in the future as major real 
estate projects are expected to com e to fruition . 
2.1.1   Monetary policy and inflation  
2.6.  Bank of Albania (BoA) pursues a CPI inflation targeting policy with a point target at 3%, as 
defined in the Monetary Policy Document (2015). At the same time, BoA is cautious to avoid 
excessive volatility in the  real and financial sector. BoA relies on indirect instruments to affect 
interest rates in the financial market. The primary tool is the seven -day maturity reverse purchase 
agreement ("reverse repo ") which serves as the main open market operation. Liquidit y in the 
financial market is provided through reverse repos with one week to three months maturity.  
2.7.  Inflation rate remained below the target of BoA in the years 2016-20. The rates were 
particularly low in 2016, with inflation approaching zero in several mo nths. That was mainly related WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  to a negative output gap and continued exchange rate appreciation associated with improvements 
in the external balances. The real sector conditions started to improve since 2017, with the output 
(and unemployment gap) graduall y shrinking. However, inflation still remained below targets as real 
conditions took some time lag to transmit to prices. At the same time, due to continuous 
improvements in the external position, the domestic currency continued to appreciate vis -à-vis the  
Euro and other major trade partners ' currencies. Economic activity came to a halt in 2020, as a 
result of pandemic restrictions. However, it was quick to recover in the 2021 and domestic 
inflationary pressures started to pick up. The inflation rate stood at 2.1% in 2021, up from 1.6% in 
2020. It accelerated substantially in the first half of 2022 in the immediate aftermath of the Ukraine 
conflict. Inflation rose to 4.4% in 2022Q1  and reached 7.9% in the second half of the year. The 
rates begun to decrease in 2023 mainly as international inflationary pressures have subdued. 
However, domestic inflationary pressure as still strong as a result of comparatively high economic 
growth, increasing wages and higher inflation expectations. These pressures are currentl y driving 
inflation developments and are the reason why the inflation rate still remains well above BoA 's 
target.  
2.8.  Between 2016 and 2021, BoA has maintained a continuously accommodative monetary policy 
with consecutive reductions of the base interest rate a t the time when inflation stood continuously 
below the target. Additionally, BoA applied continuous liquidity injections and provided forward 
guidance for future developments of monetary policy. As a result, market interest rates reduced 
gradually providin g comfortable financing conditions for the real sector. The situation took a dramatic 
shift in 2022 when the conflict broke up the Ukraine. As inflation rapidly accelerated, BoA quickly 
changed the course of monetary policy instituting subsequent increases  in the base rate. Additional 
future base rate increments were also announced through forward guidance. In spite of these 
developments, BoA estimated that the monetary policy remains accommodative as the factual base 
rate is still below the natural base ra te. The surge of inflation was initially propelled by rising 
commodity prices and supply -chain bottlenecks – following the pandemic and the 
Russian  Federation's war of aggression in Ukraine – which later passed through to domestic prices 
in an environment of strong domestic demand, tightening of labour market, and increasing inflation 
expectations.  In line with Central Bank mandate to preserve price stability, the BoA started to tighten  
monetary policy from March  2022. Retreating commodity prices and moneta ry policy tightening is 
contributing to the decline in inflation rates. The latest figure of July  2023 puts the headline inflation 
rate at 4.2%. We forecast inflation to continue to moderate during 2023 and return to target by 
mid-2024. 
2.1.2   Fiscal policy  
2.9.  In the period 2016 -22, the fiscal policies undertaken by the Albanian government aimed to 
increase of collected tax revenues in relation to the Gross Domestic Product; incentivizing sectors, 
industries and business groups, which impact the country's competiti veness and economic growth; 
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the tax system through improvements in tax and 
customs administration and designing an integrated, neutral, stimulating and simple tax system, 
making it possible to reduce complianc e costs and administration costs.  
2.10.  Changes in fiscal policies helped increase tax revenues, which in 2017 reached 25.7% of GDP 
from 22.2% of GDP in 2013, before the new fiscal policies. In the period 2017 -19, in order to promote 
economic growth and consolid ate businesses, the government undertook a series of easing measures 
in fiscal policies, including: zero tax for small businesses with income up to ALL 5 million  per year; 
reduced tax rate of 5% for enterprises with income up to ALL  14 million; reduced pre ferential rates 
for priority sectors and industries in the development of the country such as elite tourism, 
agro-tourism, information technology, automotive industry; and exemptions from VAT for inputs 
and agricultural machinery in order to support agricu lture, or other imports in the function of tourism 
development.  
2.11.  During 2020, a series of legal acts have been undertaken with the aim of mitigating the 
financial effects caused by the consequences of the COVID -19 Pandemic on the activity of businesses 
and individual incomes. In this framework the tax rate for profit tax and simplified small business 
profit tax, for taxpayers with a turnover of up to ALL 14 million  per year, became 0% and the 
minimum value added tax registration threshold was increased from ALL 2 million turnover in a 
calendar year to ALL  10 million.  WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  2.12.  The new fiscal policies undertaken were positive and led to an increase in tax revenues 
from 25.2% of GDP in 2019 to 25.6% of GDP in 2021. In 2022 and following, the Ministry of Finance 
and Econo my has started the implementation of a Medium -Term Revenue Strategy covering the 
period 2022 -26, the main goals of which are increase in tax revenues by 2.55% of GDP at the end 
of 5 years; abolition of incentives, tax holidays, exemptions and reduced fees which have fulfilled 
their mission, or they did not deliver the expected results for which they were designed. The 
Medium -Term Revenue Strategy, which has begun to be implemented, and which was designed with 
the assistance of the International Monetary Fun d, has been widely discussed with interest groups 
and the public, while it is expected to be discussed in the Strategic Policy Committee next to the 
Prime Minister.  
2.13.  The reforms against informality have continued to be a priority for Albanian government. 
Fiscalism reform undertaken by tax administration in 2020, is considered a major one, that has 
impacted the reduction of unfair competition by eliminating the fictitious invoices issued by the old 
tax blocs. It has simplified the way of invoicing, reducing t he cost of tax compliance and providing 
a qualitative and quantitative basis of data for the tax administration in real time. Tax online services 
have created the opportunity for taxpayers and individuals to receive the requested service, saving 
time, huma n resources and administrative costs. Currently, 100% of tax services and declarations 
are online.  
2.2  Structural reforms  
2.14.  The main structural reforms undertaken by Government of Albania consist in, among others, 
reforms in the energy sector, digitalization, an ticorruption, justice system and the tourism sector. 
Other important reforms were undertaken in the areas of customs, taxation or improving 
government procurement Policies in Albania continue to be guided by the objective of becoming a 
European  Union membe r State. The National Strategy for Development and European 
Integration  2022-2030 was approved in February  2023. As an overarching framework, the National 
Strategy for Development and European Integration  2021-2030 (SKZHIE  III) is the main strategic 
docume nt it provides the directions and determines the priorities of sustainable economic and social 
development of the country on the way its integration into the European  Union , including the 
connection with the Sustainable Development Objectives in function o f achieving the goals of the 
2030 Agenda by defining the vision for the development of democracy, the social and economic 
development of the country during the period 2021 -30. 
2.2.1   Energy sector reform  
2.15.  Energy in Albania is produced 100% from renewables (99% by HPP-s and 1% by PV), counting 
one of the highest renewable energy shares in the energy mix among the countries the world.  The 
overall energy policy of Albania is determined by the National Energy Strategy  (2018 -2030), 
approved by the Decision of the Council of Ministers (DoCM)  No. 480/2018, as well as by the National 
Plan for Energy and Climate  (2021 -2030) adopted on  29 December  2021.Several measures have 
been taken towards increasing energy security through the promotion of renewable energy sources 
and energy efficiency improvement  The energy efficiency sector in Albania is regulated by the two 
important laws, Law "On energy efficiency " and Law "On Energy Performance in Buildings ". Law "On 
energy efficiency", as amended, is mainly in line with Directi ve 2012/27/EU, especially as a result 
of its amendments approved in 2021.  
2.16.  In the framework of the obligations arising from the effective implementation of the "National 
Energy Strategy 2018 -2030", the "National Plan for Energy and Climate", and the energy legislation 
in force, Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, which is the authority in charge of these policies, is 
working to achieve the national objectives reducing energy consumption through increasing 
efficiency measures, diversifying, and increasing energy production from renewable sources, and 
decarbonization.  
2.2.2   Digitalisation  
2.17.  Since the last Trade Policy Review, the digital revolution of public services in Albania has 
started the process of transforming the provision of public services, strongly believing in changing 
the minds of citizens and businesses regarding this new form o f communication with state 
institutions. In terms of impact, this translates to reducing the costs of receiving services, WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  simplification of bureaucratic procedures, reduction of time to receive services, improvement of 
transparency and quality of service p rovision. The Albanian government, as a promoter of the 
transformation of offline services to online services, established the e -Albania platform as a success 
story, as well as managed to build a serious image of the state and restore the trust of citizens  in 
public institutions. Albania has taken important steps towards fast and broad developments in digital 
service platforms, offering a wide -range and modern e -services, available to citizens and businesses.  
E-Albania, the national e -Gov portal acts as a f ront-end point for government institutions to deliver 
their services, thus operating as a one stop single access point to citizens and businesses 24/7. 
Currently, it offers 1,227 online services, or 95% of all public services, which are fully conducted 
online and do not require physical presence of individuals, vehicles, or laboratory samples. In 2022, 
a total of 8.7  million public services were obtained through e -Albania, of which 1 .6 million are public 
services provided for the category of businesses.  
2.18.  The initiation of the fiscalisation process for tax invoicing marks a significant advancement, 
encompassing fiscali sed invoices between businesses and the state, as well as business -to-business 
and business -to-citizen invoices. This development offers substan tial convenience for businesses, 
alleviating the burden of managing physical books and transporting invoices for interactions with the 
state. Consequently, this transformation contributes to a reduction in overall business costs. In line 
with the governmen t's objective to swiftly acquire administrative documents in real -time, the 
pathway was paved for the official acceptance of the electronic seal in 2017. This milestone facilitated 
the online generation of documents, endowed with an institutional electroni c seal that holds identical 
legal standing as traditional paper documents.  
2.19.  Businesses already exchange electronically signed documents with full legal value online, and 
the need to meet or send hard copy letters is zero.  Businesses apply only through the e -Albania 
portal and is the employees of the public administration who collect all accompanying state 
documents for their applications through a dedicated electronic system (SQDNE), releasing them 
from the burden of collecting the documents physically on pa per at state counters. Thanks to the 
work done by automating the entire process, from 2022 for all public services applied to in the 
portal, the response/final administrative document is electronically sent to the account of each 
business in e -Albania with  an electronic seal or signature. As a result, the response and final 
administrative document is provided exclusively online, completely avoiding direct physical contact 
between businesses and public institutions. Through the e -Albanian Government Portal, all 
businesses, have one stop single access point to take all actions related to their business. Businesses 
in e-Albania practically perform the entire cycle they need in relation to the state. This includes the 
opening of a new business, applications for permits and licences, payment of taxes, submission of 
balance sheets, tax payments, various attestations with an electronic seal, business extracts, bailiff 
actions, etc.  During the year 2022, on the e -Albania portal, a total of 6.7  million documents with 
electronic seals have been generated by citizens and businesses. For the business category, 
1.1 million documents with electronic seals have been generated.  
2.20.  Law No. 9880, dated 25 /02/2008 , amended  in 2017,  establishes  the necessary legal 
framework for the recognition and use of electronic signatures in the Republic of Albania.  As a direct 
result of the implementation of the electronic signature, it is possible the digitalization of complex 
processes in all steps, such as construction permits, electronic  procurement, the automated data 
system for customs, etc. Law  No. 43/2023 "On electronic Government" as a legal mechanism that 
serves to unify the procedures of receiving/providing electronic services. The adoption of this law 
brought a general regulation of the entire field of creation and provision of electronic services. This 
law enables the electronic provision of public services for obtaining/benefiting from them which do 
not necessarily require the physical appearance of the applicant.  
2.2.3   Anticorruption  
2.21.  From the Government 's perspective, continued efforts are provided to tackle the culture of 
impunity for state officials at all levels of government. The fight against corruption has been largely 
addressed by the Cross -cutting Strategy Against Corruption, 2 015-2023. Significant progress was 
made in combating corruption through a comprehensive and multifaceted approach. There are 
positive achievements in the preventive, punitive, and awareness -raising strategies for 
implementing anti -corruption measures, whil e the Ministry of Justice conducts regularly monitoring 
of the compliance of the current strategy against corruption and action plan.  WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  2.22.  Since 2017, the Ministry of Justice holds the portfolio of the National Coordinator Against 
Corruption. The Network of Ant i-Corruption Coordinators, previously established by Order of the 
Prime Minister in 17  agencies, is strengthened through the Decision of the Council of Ministers, 
extending to 44  institutions at central and other level, including the most neuralgic and esp ecially 
corruption prone sectors. The Ministry of Justice of Albania, by March  2022, paved the way to a new 
clear anti -corruption strategy, strengthening both the preventive and awareness -raising function of 
the National Coordinator against Corruption.  The new Cross -cutting Anti -Corruption 
Strategy  2023-2030, still a draft, has a clear vision: "Public institutions that operate in accordance 
with the highest standards of integrity, transparency and public accountability, and provide efficient 
services to cit izens". The adoption will be within the year 2023.  The new strategy considers the 
developments and progress resulting from the implementation of the current Intersectoral Strategy 
against Corruption and the related reforms, but also addresses shortcomings identified in both the 
scope of the strategy and its implementation and the evolving corruption risks.  
2.2.4   Justice system reform  
2.23.  Reforms aimed at strengthening the judicial system that started in 2014 are seen as a key 
element for EU accession and continue. In  2016, as part of the judicial reform and other legislative 
changes such as the adoption of eight key laws, the Constitution was amended to restructure the 
judicial system and increase its independence and efficiency. Inter alia, the reforms modified the 
functioning of the Constitutional Court, the High Court, and the Prosecutor General to ensure their 
independence and integrity, and they established new institutions for the self -governing of the 
judiciary such as the High Judicial Council, a High Prosecuto rial Council, and the Justice Appointment 
Council which all started to operate in 2019.  
2.24.  An important element of the reform also aimed at addressing perceived corruption and 
included a re -vetting of more than 800 officials in the Albanian judiciary based on  an assessment of 
their professionalism, integrity and assets created over the years of their careers in the justice 
system. Until 01 /06/2023 , the re -evaluation/exclusion was done for a total of 669  revaluation 
subjects, of which 233  re-evaluation subjects  were dismissed.  
2.25.  Regarding the re -evaluation/exclusion process due to the resignation of the subjects, the 
process was interrupted for 97  re-evaluation subjects.  
2.2.5   Tourism reform  
2.26.  Tourism sector has become one of the main contributors to the Albanian economic  
development.  According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, during 2021, tourism sector 
recorded a total contribution of USD  3,092.7  million, accounting for about 17.4% of GDP. In terms 
of employment, the total contribution of travel and tourism for t he same period was 226,100  jobs 
or 20% of total employment.  
2.27.  The strategic document for the development of the sector "The National Strategy for 
Sustainable Tourism Development 2019 -2023" has been approved and is in the process of 
implementation. In accorda nce with the policy and legal framework of the sector and with the aim 
of supporting and encouraging foreign investments on the one hand, as well as promoting and 
developing quality accommodation services through the presence of international accommodation  
brands on the other hand, a series of legal changes for the creation and provision of fiscal incentives, 
have been undertaken.  
2.28.  With the aim of diversifying the tourist offer and further consolidating it through the use and 
optimization of untapped tourism  potentials, a new legal framework has been drawn consisting of 
the Law  No. 43/2020 "On maritime tourism activities " and the respective legal acts, that promotes 
the development of maritime tourism activities. Also, other legal interventions have been unde rtaken 
in the framework of the review and completion of the regulatory framework with the aim of 
promoting the development of sustainable, responsible, and quality tourism, the harmonized 
development of rural areas and the promotion of the competitiveness of the sector.  
2.29.  Currently, Law No. 93/2015 "On tourism " is in the process of revision and the changes have 
as their focus the sustainable development of tourism, through the increase of standards in the WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  tourism sector, the reduction of informality, consumer protection, etc. Also, the process of drafting 
of the  new tourism strategy that will cover the period 2024 -30 has begun.  
2.3  Private sector development  
2.30.  Business and Investment Development Strategy 2021 -2027 was adopted in August  2021. 
This new Strategy that replaced the Business Development and Investment Strate gy (BIDS)  
2014-2020, constitutes the main orientation of the Albanian Government for medium -term economic 
development, focusing mainly on the development of micro, small and medium enterprises, and 
investments. The three main objectives of the Strategy are : investment attraction and 
internationalization;  SME development, entrepreneurship and innovation  and human capital 
development.  
2.3.1   Improving business environment  
2.31.  Albania has undertaken lots of reforms in improving business environment and 
competitiveness of  Albanian economy. The OECD Competitiveness Report 2021 has identified six 
main areas where Albania has made progress such as in the policy of investment, trade, education, 
employment, energy and tax policies. SMEs are the backbone of Albanian economy whic h do consist 
of 99.8 % of our active enterprises. The deepest reforms that Albania has taken during the last years 
in order to increase the competitiveness of SME are reflected in report of OECD on SME Policy 
Index  2022: Western Balkans and Türkiye, for Al bania, according to which Albania has improved its 
performance across all 12 policy areas and  achieved its highest average scores in areas such as: 
institutional and regulatory framework for SME policy making; operational environment for SMEs; 
public procu rement; standards and technical regulations; and internationalization of SMEs, where it 
also outperforms the Western Balkans and Türkiye 's average.  
2.32.  During 2022, Albania adapted two new laws such as: the law on the development of micro, 
small and medium -sized enterprises and the law on start-up. 
2.3.2   Strategic investments  
2.33.  The Strategic Investment Law ( Law No. 55/2015 ), described in the previous Trade Policy 
Review is under implementation.  From 2016 until now, 92  investment projects have been handled 
through Alban ian Investment Development Agency (AIDA), of which: 44  investment projects have 
been granted the strategic status, 14  projects were rejected, and 34  projects are in the evaluation 
phase.  Regarding approved projects, the possible projects for realization un til 2026 (related to 
projects equipped with development and construction permits) reach an investment value of  
733,569,182  Euros  and ensure the opening of  5,303 new jobs. The possible projects to be realized 
in the next 14  years reach an investment value of  3,174,102,131  Euros  and ensure the creation 
of 22,857  new jobs. Most of these projects are in the Tourism or Integrated Tourism sector.  
Currently, it is under process drafting of a unified law for investments that will merge 
Law No. 7764/1993 with Law  No. 55/2015 . 
2.34.  Since 2016, AIDA has been focused on strengthening communication with businesses and 
other stakeholders through the provision of after -care services.  AIDA has had a proactive role in the 
approach of foreign and local investors present in Albania. Since 2016, AIDA has institutionalized 
the cooperation with 11  municipalities and has organized a total of 125  meetings in businesses of 
different sectors, including 21  meetings during the first 6  months of 2023.  
2.3.3   Technology and economic  development zones  
2.35.  Pursuant to Law  No. 9789, dated 19 /07/2007  "On the creation and operation of technology 
and economic development zones" amended in 2015, there are established four TEDA.  
2.3.4   Business registration and licensing  
2.36.  Starting from 2020, the National Business Centre (NBC) has continuously cooperated with the 
National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI) for the provision of its services in the field of 
business registration and licensing, as well as the registration of beneficial owners online through 
the e-Albania government portal. Starting from 1 May 2022, all the services of the NBC are offered WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  online through the government portal e -Albania, with simple procedures, within short deadlines and 
at no cost to the business.  
2.37.  Following the implementation of the deregulation reform, until May  2023, there are 
13 licences removed, mostly in the field of agriculture, energy, environment mining, hydro carbon , 
forest and trade.  
2.3.5   Public -private dialogue  
2.38.  Public consultation for the strategies and laws are conducted through the e -consultation portal 
(Electronic Registry fo r Public Notice and Consultation). There are 870  stakeholders registered in the 
portal that receive automatic notification for public consultation. The guideline for public consultation 
process was approved in January  2021. Frequency of public consultation  is improved. For 2022 the 
index of frequency is 81 .63%.  The frequency index measures the frequency of public consultations 
by calculating the % of draft laws, strategic documents and policies (which were required to be 
submitted to the Konsultimi Publik1) approved by the government, which have gone through public 
consultations. Institutional public consultation reports and Centre of Government  outlook reports are 
produced in a timely fashion and the publication index is 100%.  The publication index shows h ow 
many acts have been published in relation to the acts that should be published.  
2.39.  As reported in the last Trade Policy Review, the Investment Council (IC), established by the 
DCM No. 294, dated 8  April 2015, with the support of EBRD, has been very active at promoting 
public -private dialogue on initiatives relating to the investment climate in broad terms. Since 2016, 
the Investment Council held 28  meetings that addressed specific business issues and issued 
295 recommendations (2015 -22), based on a prior th orough analysis prepared by the IC secretariat 
team after a careful (i)  research on national and international reports, (ii)  inputs from direct 
meetings with private sector representatives and experts, (iii)  relevant Albanian Investment Council  
survey data , and (iv)  team analysis. The implementation rate of IC 's recommendations is at 43%. 
The total recommendations issued in the meetings are categorized in six pillars: (i)  Strategic, 
(ii) Institutional, (iii)  Legal , (iv) Transparency related , (v) Policy and (vi)  Awareness.  
3  TRADE POLICY DEVELOPMENTS  
3.1  Trade data 
3.1.  The most exported products for 2022 are textiles and shoes with 27.8%, minerals fuels and 
lubricants with 22.08%, construction materials and metals with 21.6%. During 2016 -22, the export 
of chemical and plastic products increased more compared with other products, with an increase of 
304% during this timeframe. Although with less growth, other products, like transport machinery 
and equipment, construction materials, etc. have improved their pos ition compared to 2016.  
3.2.  The most imported products for 2022 are transport machinery and equipment with 19.7%, 
minerals fuels and lubricants with 18%, food beverage and tobacco with 15.7%, construction 
materials and metals with 14.4% etc. During 2016 -22, the import of construction materials and 
metals increased more compared with other products, with an increase of 80% during this 
timeframe. There is a decrease of 2% for the import of leather and leather goods during 2016 -22. 
3.3.  During the period of 2016 -22 the export, in absolute terms, to Italy, Kosovo, Germany and 
Greece increased significantly.  
3.4.  During the period of 2016 -22 imports suffered from a fluctuating trend. Italy is the leading 
partner in import, having an increasing up to 2019, decreasing in 2020 an d increasing again in 2021. 
Same patterns of import had China, Türkiye, Greece, etc.  
3.5.  Exports to Italy, Kosovo, Germany, and Greece significantly increased from 2016 -22 in 
absolute terms. Import trends were fluctuating during the 2016 -22 period. Italy emerg ed as the 
leading import partner, with an increasing trend until 2019, followed by a decrease in 2020 and 
 
1 Konsultimi Publik  in Albanian; Public Consultation in English.  WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  subsequent increase in 2021. Similar import patterns were observed with countries like China, 
Türkiye, and Greece.  
3.6.  Overall, the analysis indicates tha t the textile and shoe industry dominated exports in 2022, 
while the import of transport machinery and equipment played a significant role. Chemical and 
plastic products experienced substantial export growth, while construction materials and metals 
showed significant import growth. The trade relationship with Italy proved to be crucial for both 
exports and imports, followed by other countries such as Kosovo, Germany, China, Türkiye, and 
Greece, which displayed varying import trends during the analysed  period. 
3.2  Trade policy making and coordination  
3.2.1   Main trade policy advancement  
3.7.  From the last Trade Policy Review in 2016, Albanian Trade Policy has followed a liberal approach 
in policy making, focusing more on trade facilitation than tariff reductions. The new agr eement with 
United  Kingdom  of Great Britain after Brexit, the Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement was 
signed between the Republic of Albania and the United  Kingdom  of Great Britain and Ireland, 
in 2021, follows the same provisions as Stabilization  Association Agreement Albania  – EU. The MFN 
tariff was amended in November  2017, implementing the WTO schedule CXLVI of the extension of 
the list of information technology agreement, as well as some other  tariff lines, which were not 
within the duly bound  rate. The import tariffs applied by Albania are low, with a maximum of 15%, 
with approximately 50.8% of all tariff lines having MFN rate at 0% and 16.8 % of all tariff lines 
having MFN rate at 2%. As in the last Trade Policy Review, Albania still has some  differences between 
MFN rate and the bound rate for few tariff lines are identified. This difference continues to be due to 
the correlations and changes in the tariff classification and legislative changes to make MFN level 
fully compliant with the WTO re spective bound rate are in process. The website of the customs 
administration contains MFN and preferential tariffs for all products.  
3.8.  Albania implements the preferential rules of origin (PEM Convention) according to PEM 
Convention, since 2012.  In May  2021, both Albania and Türkiye made linkages of PEM Convention. 
The new transitory rules of origin of PEM Convention, adapted in 2019, are reflected at SAA 
ALBANIA -EU, EFTA and CEFTA. With the Türkiye, the process is pending. The PEM transitory rules 
of origin with EU entered into force on 1  September  2021, with EFTA parties in January  2022, and 
with CEFTA on 1  February  2023. 
3.9.  Albania has maintained a very liberal trade regime, transparent and predictable, refraining any 
initiative or policy that constitutes a barrier to trade.  
3.2.1.1   Customs procedures  
3.10.  Since the last Trade Policy Review Report, significant trade facilitations are done regarding 
customs procedures. The new Customs Code of the Republic of Albania approved by virtue of 
Law No. 102/2014, dat ed 31  July 2014 entered into force in June  2017. Implementing provisions for 
the Customs Code were approved with the CMD  No. 651, dated 10 /11/2017 , "On the implementing 
provisions of Law No. 102/2014, 'Customs Code of the Republic of Albania '", bringing th e degree of 
approximation of Albanian customs legislation to the steps of the EU. Albania has in place a sound 
legal frame regarding AEO. There are 11  companies to which AEO status is granted and 
20 applications are submitted to customs administration. In 2022, customs administration adapted 
the AEO Strategic Plan 2022 -2025. CEFTA Validation Team gave the positive opinion for the Albanian 
AEO program me, in June  2022. Mutual recognition agreements for AEOs with North  Macedonia  and 
Serbia were signed and ente red in force during 2022.  Customs Administration is paperless 
since 2018. It has set clear objectives in the service of citizens and businesses aiming at alignment 
with EU standards in terms of facilitating international trade, achieving the green channel to 30% of 
all customs declarations.  During the review period, there are conducted and published two Time 
Release Study (TRS) based on the methodology of World Customs Organization, on average release 
time of goods, with the support of IFC, in March  2019 an d December  2021, respectively. The last 
one showed reduction of the time of customs clearance compared to 2019. The use of transaction 
value for valuation purposes is 93% in 2022 compared to 89% in 2015. In 2018, a national valuation 
database is establishe d. WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  3.11.  In comply with WTO trade facilitation agreement, regarding single window, under category  C, 
Albanian government has taken a loan from Word Bank, in September  2019. In February  2020, a 
Unit (PIU) within the Ministry of finance and Economy is set up to fo llow the implementation of this 
Project. This project provides support for Albania with the development of such a National Single 
Window (NSW) and transition to an NSW environment. The Albanian Customs Administration 
benefits an amount of USD 12 million  for the development and implementation of the Customs 
Single Window project; development of NCTS platform and the construction of the Joint Border 
Crossing Point (with North  Macedonia ) in Qafe Thane. The project is expected to be finalized 
within  2024. In April  2023, Albania submitted at WTO, the notification of arrangements and progress 
in the provision of technical assistance and capacity -building  support of category  C designations.  
3.2.1.2   Sanitary and phytosanitary measures  
3.12.  In the area of food safety, the Food Law was amended in 2022, according to the agreement 
"On cooperation in the  field of Veterinary, Food and Feed Safety in the Western Balkan" based on 
which the consignments of food of animal origin are no longer inspecte d by border veterinary food 
safety inspectors, but by those responsible for the control of food and animal feed (i.e.  the NFA, 
Article  16). Referring to this legal changes of 2022, official controls for products of animal origin that 
are imported within th e framework of the agreement mentioned above, are carried out only for 
physical checks to the destination point at the customs terminal.  
3.13.  Official controls for all products that are imported in Albania are carried out at the Border 
Inspection Post according  to the provisions of the Food Law, which includes inspections of food labels 
and control of product labels. The NFA is the competent authority for licensing food business 
operators as a precondition to import or export and also for FBOs that produce food and feed.  
3.14.  Referred to Order  No. 37 dated 11 /12/2019  of the General Director of the National Food 
Authority, the schedule for carrying out the official control at cross border at Hani i Hoti, Qafë -Thanë, 
Morinë has been unified 24/7. NFA inspectors at these  border inspection points work 24/7 with prior 
notice. The Green Corridors/Lanes within Western Balkans were established at the beginning of the 
COVID -19 outbreak in order to prevent shortages of essential goods and medical equipment. The 
initiative was su ccessful and the concept of Green Lanes has been extended to all intra -CEFTA 
BCPs/CCPs and to all goods. Now, the phytosanitary, veterinary and food inspections receive the 
pre-arrival information through the SEED not only for goods of first necessity but for all goods that 
require phytosanitary, veterinary or food inspections.  
3.15.  Law No. 10465/2011 on Veterinary Service was amended in 2020 related to monitoring 
structures and definitions regarding component authorities and in 2022 on the control procedures 
at final destination in compliance with amendments done at Food Law in 2022. The National Agency 
for Veterinary and Plant Protection (NAVPP) was established by the Decision of Council of 
Ministers  No. 683, dated 2 /9/2020  and it is the responsible institution  for carrying out the official 
control and other activities in the field of veterinary within the Albanian territory. Under the NAVPP, 
at regional and local level, the Official control it is organized by four Regional Directorates of 
Veterinary and Plant P rotection Services, which are responsible to carry out the official control and 
for the implementation other activities such as residue monitoring plan by sampling of commodities 
according to the monitoring plan as well as for the actions of follow -up in c ases of non -compliances; 
identification – registration, vaccination; control of livestock markets and slaughterhouses etc. 
Number of official veterinarians in total is 530. In the field of SPS, since 2016, 19  notifications on 
draft technical regulations wi th an impact on trade  have been notified by TBT Enquiry Point.  
3.16.  In 2016, it was approved the new law on plant hea lth, Law  No. 105/2016, partially in 
compliance with EU acquis. This law regulates plant health and plant protection products. Bylaws in 
its impl ementation bring the approximation of the EU acquis in both fields. The purpose of this law 
is to protect plants and plant products from pests, to prevent the entry and spread of pests in the 
territory of the Republic of Albania, to protect the health of p eople, animals, as and the environment, 
from the use of plant protection products. This law was amended in 2022 to strengthen the rules for 
the protection of plants, plant products and other objects from pests, as well as to prevent the entry 
and spread of  quarantine and non -quarantine pests in the territory of the Republic of Albania. These 
amendments have only touched the plant health part, where it has made some legal adjustments, 
making it possible to fully or partially align the EU's  acquis  in this fie ld through the bylaws in its 
implementation. Based also on the fact that since 14 December  2019, new EU legislation in this field 
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  3.2.1.3   Standardization  
3.17.  Since last Trade Policy Review, two new Decisions of Council of Ministers (DCM) were 
approved, DCM  No. 382/2018 "On standardization activity " as amended by DCM  No. 673/2021 
"On some amendments and changes to the DCM  382/2018 ". Their provisions embody the principles 
recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the field of standardization and have fully 
transposed the Regulation (EU) No. 1025/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 
25 October  2012 on European standardization, as amended. With the support of IPA  2015 Action 
Program for Albania – EUIF, in June  2021 DPS submitted to CEN&CENELEC Management Centre 
(CCMC) the application to full membership in CEN&CENELEC. The request was accepted and in 
May 2022. 
3.18.  General Directorate of Standardizations (DPS) has agree ments with European and 
international organizations, such as: CEN, CENELEC, ETSI, ISO, and IEC dealing with the rights and 
obligations of General Directorate of Standardizations according to the membership level this 
institution has in these organizations and it continues to have cooperation agreement with the NSBs 
in the Region, too.  
3.19.  All the standardization process on development, public enquiry, adoption, notification and 
publication of Albanian Standards continues to be carried out in full compliance wit h the Annex  3 of 
the WTO/TBT  Agreement . Actually, the National adoptions rate in percentage is as to the period of 
March  2023 is: 87.07% CEN, 92.36% CENELEC; 89.17% OJEU, 94.75% CENELEC; 40% ETSI % in 
total and 3.6% ETSI % OJEU only. The adoptions are made  by cover page method and without 
deviations from the original text of standards. All adopted standards are notified to CEN&CENELEC 
Management Centre.  
3.20.  Notifications of six monthly standards work -programme are regularly notified to ISO/IEC 
Secretariat. Ther e are made 33 notifications on draft technical regulations with an impact on trade 
are notified by DPS since January  2016 until  July 2023. 
3.2.1.4   Technical regulation and accreditation  
3.21.  During the reporting period, solid progress is noted in the area of technical regulations. 
16 technical rules have been transposed in the field of new approach. The Market Surveillance 
Inspectorate is responsible for the enforcement of product legislation, intellectual property rights 
and tourism legislation.  
3.22.  In the area of metrolog y, the General Metrology Directorate (DPM) under the Ministry of 
Finance and Economy as national metrology body is a member of a number of international 
organizations in the field of metrology. Replacing an earlier law from 2008, the new law on Metrology 
(No. 126/2020) implements regulation aim to strengthen the metrological system overall, and 
improve consumer protection and public health. Laboratories of National Measurement Standards 
within General Directorate of Metrology operate according to a Quality Management System that is 
following the requirements of standard ISO/IEC  17025: 2017 and of the "Mutual Recognition 
Agreement of National Measurements Standards and Calibration Certificates '' issued by the National 
Metrology Institutes and the Internationa l Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM -MRA). DPM 
has registered since 2019, the Measurement and Calibration Capabilities (CMC) in the data base of 
the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM KCDB) in the field of mass, volume and 
pressure ac cording to the requirements of the CIPM MRA.  
3.23.  In the area of accreditation, the General Directorate of Accreditation (DPA) is the sole 
accreditation body in Albania which performs the accreditation to conformity assessment bodies in 
mandatory and voluntary areas. It operates according to Law  No. 116/2014, dated 
11 September  2014 "On accreditation of conformity assessment bodies in the Republic of Albania", 
which is fully in line with requirements of EU  Regulation  No. 765/2008 "Setting out the requirements 
for accreditation and market surveillance relating to the marketing of products". The new structure 
and organization chart of General Directorate of Accreditation is approved with Prime Minister 
Order  No. 2 dated 12  January  2021. 
3.24.  The number of  internal staffs of DPA was increased from 14 to 20. During the years 2016 -23, 
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  assessment schemes and addition of new accreditation activities. Currently, it re sults that during 
the period 2016 -23, there were evaluated and accepted 32 conformity assessment schemes based 
to which the accreditation was provided to conformity assessment bodies. DPA is recently signatory 
member of EA MLA for four scopes: testing (201 6), inspection (2018), management system 
certification (2018) and certification of persons (2020). DPA is signatory member of ILAC MRA for 
testing (2016) and Inspection (2018). DPA is signatory member of IAF MLA for two scopes: 
management system certificat ion (2018) and certification of persons (2022).  
3.25.  Significant progress can be highlighted relating to number of accredited bodies. In 2016, the 
number of accredited conformity assessment bodies was 42, while currently, there are 
111 accredited bodies (50 tes ting laboratories, 5 medical laboratory, 1 calibration laboratory, 
8 management system certification bodies, 15 personnel certification bodies and 32 inspection 
bodies).  
3.2.1.5   Competition policy  
3.26.  The Albanian Competition Authority (ACA), a public entity, independ ent in performing its 
tasks, is in charge of monitoring and implementing competition policy. The ACA exercises its 
competencies based on the Law No. 9121/2003, which is not amended during the review period. 
The main competition policy objectives are contai ned in the National Competition Policy issued in 
December  2006 approved by Competition Commission Decision No. 43 dated 28 /12/2006 , amended 
in 2016 significant changes were  introduced.  
3.27.  The structure of ACA was amended in 2017, and approved by parliament wi th Decision 
No. 43/2017. Among the main changes, a new key position was adopted – the Chief Economist, who 
performs special economic and econometric analyses, to allow a more complete and adequate 
solution to market competition issues. The ACA is a full -right member of 
the International  Competition Network (ICN) and is active in other international gatherings like 
OECD, UNCTAD, OECD -GVH/RCC etc.  
3.28.   From 2016 -22, the ACA has initiated 86 investigations, which were preliminary or in -depth 
investigations in diff erent sectors of the economy, regarding potential anti -competitive  behaviour , 
abuse of dominant positions or prohibited agreements. From 2016 -22, the ACA also taken completed 
559 cases in total, out of these, 61 decisions were on Anti-competitive agreements, 70 on abuse of 
dominant positions, 182 on mergers and acquisitions. Decisions by the ACA may be appealed in 
court. From 2016 -22 there were 35 decisions that are judged at the First Administrative Court, 
12 decisions that are ju dged at the Administrative Appeal Court, and 8 decisions that are judged at 
the High Court. The ACA has the authority to impose fines, give obligations and recommendations, 
and other remedies as a result of its investigations.  
3.2.1.6   State aid 
3.29.  Albania prepares ev ery year the Annual Report for State Aid that is published  at the Official 
Gazette. The Report contains detailed data on state aid for the reporting year. The annual state aid 
monitoring report is in compliance with the methodology of the European Commissi on in the area of 
state aid. Also, Albania submits  regularly the notification on subsidies, at WTO  structures.  
3.2.1.7   Intellectual property rights  
3.30.  The aim of the Albanian Government in the field of intellectual property rights (IP) is to 
stimulate economic, scien tific and cultural development in the country, to ensure the proper 
functioning of the internal market by establishing the right balance between the rights of the owners 
of intellectual property objects and interests of users as well as strengthen the syst em of registration 
of IP objects.  The main policy document on IPR is the National Strategy of Intellectual 
Property  (NSIP). This strategy covers a five -year period. Since last Policy Review it has been 
implemented all the objectives set at the NSIP 2016-2020. With the technical assistance of WIPO, 
the new NSIP 2022 – 2025 was approved with the Decision of Council of Ministers No . 350 of 
26/05/2022  "On the approval of the National Strategy for Intellectual Property, 2022 – 2025". This 
new strategy clearly de fines the commitments of each institution included in the institutional chain 
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  3.31.  The new copyright law of 2016, Law No. 35/2016 "On copyright and other related rights " 
revolutionized the copyright in Albania with the new concepts and procedures. The law transposed 
fully 8 directives of European  Union  and partially 5 EU Directive. The Albanian copyright law applies 
to national or foreign individuals that exercise creativ e, commercial, manufacturing or any other 
activity of assessment, exploitation, use or alienation of literary, artistic or scientific work in the 
Republic of Albania. In 2017, one stop shop was introduced, S.U.A.D.A. on collection and 
distributions of remu nerations of copyright as a centralized structure and in 2016 the Albanian 
Copyright Directorate at the Ministry of Culture was established. In August  2022, the copyright law 
was amended, by Law No. 37/2022 of 14 /04/2022  to improve the protection of copyri ght and other 
related rights. Since 2016, the Copyright Directorate has received 1 ,513 requests for the registration 
of copyrights. Albania has regularly done the notifications at WTO.  
3.32.  In the area of patents and trademarks, the Law No. 9947 dated 07 /07/200 8 "On Industrial 
Property " was amended in 2017 by the Law No. 17/2017 and in 2021 with the Law No. 96/2021.  
The amendments of 2017 introduced the well -known trademark, licensing of the IP experts, 
improvements in the procedures of IP objects and important changes regarding the geographic 
Indications and designation of origin. Another important amendment done with the law of 2017, is 
the change of the name and administrative structure of GDIP from a budgetary public institution 
into a public non -budgetary in stitution. It functions as an autonomous agency under the supervision 
of the Minister responsible for Economy. For the period 2023 -25, it is envisaged a legal reform in 
the field of IP which will consist in the drafting and approval of 5 divided laws relat ed to IP objects. 
The Law "On some amendments to Law No. 9947 of 7 /07/2008  'On industrial property '" approved 
in August  2021, approximates partially the Directive (EU) 2016/943 on the protection of undisclosed 
know -how and business information (trade secre ts) against their unlawful acquisition, use and 
disclosure, to setup the state Industrial Property Database and the Industrial Property Management 
System (SAPI).  The amendments aim to provide to State Inspectorate of Market Surveillance, as 
well, the right to carry out inspections not only based on the complaints of right holders, but also 
ex officio.  
3.33.  During 2018, Albania has signed four international agreements in the field of Industrial 
Property. According to NSIP 2022 -25, it is foreseen the adoption of Albania at two other international 
treaties concretely in the Singapore Treaty and in the Nairobi Treaty.  
3.34.  All the applications for patents, trademarks, industrial designs, or GIs can also be made 
electronically via the e -Albania  system since 1 May 2022. Referring at the period 2015 -22, the trend 
of national applications has been an upward trend. In the total number of applications in percentage 
for 2022, international applications account for 63% while national application s account for 37% of 
which national application from foreign applicants account for about 13.6% and applications with 
local applicants account for 23.3% . In the last 5  years, there have been 85 applications for a national 
patent and 11 applications for a U tility Model with Albanian and foreign applicants.  
3.35.  Registration of products as Geographical Indication and Appellation of Origins has taken a 
major importance nowadays. From the Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin 
and their intern ational registration, for the year of 2022, 6 applications have been filed. During 2022, 
1 application for registration of Appellation of origin was filed and also during this year, 1 Certificate 
of Registration of Appellation of Origin was issued.  
3.36.  In 2016 , the State Inspectorate of Market Surveillance (SIMS) an institution under the 
Ministry of Finance and Economy was established by DCM  No. 36, dated 20 /01/2016 . SIMS is 
responsible for inspecting the safety of non -food products for consumers use and guaran tying the 
protection of the intellectual property, in the internal market of the Republic of Albania, against the 
infringements that constitute in administrative offenses. Within SIMS structures, there is copyright 
unit and Industrial Property unit. 336 in spections were carried out by the Industrial Property Sector 
during 2018. From 2017 up to 2022, there are conducted 2,266 inspections relating to infringements 
of copyright and related rights, 468 inspections relating to violation of industrial property ri ghts, 
including trademarks, and there are imposed 297 administrative measures on copyright and 121 for 
industrial property.  
3.37.  Since 2016, the applications for action (AfA) registered in the custom 's register are 710 in 
total and during 2016 -22, there have be en 40 cases of detention.  WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  3.2.1.8   Agriculture and fisheries  
3.38.  The Strategy of agriculture, rural development and fishing 2021 -2027, clear policies and 
objectives have been defined, as well as concrete measures on three main policy areas: 
a) sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas; b)  sustainable development of fisheries 
and the blue economy and c)  development of administrative and institutional capacities, cooperation 
of actors, innovation and digitalization. Cross -cutting objectives of th is strategy are strengthening 
of institutional and administrative capacities towards alignment with EU  acquis  communautaire  and 
transfer of knowledge and innovation in agriculture and rural areas.  
3.39.  Agriculture  continues to be an important contributor for gr owth, having considerable share in 
the Albanian economy, contributing by about 20% to the GDP.  
3.40.  During 2016 -22, agriculture has undergone important developments. The Policy of the 
Albanian Government for Agriculture includes: 1)  continuation of improving th e quality of life in rural 
areas and diversification of spaces and opportunities for economic activities; 2)  promoting the 
balancing of differences in living standards between urban and rural areas, with continuous 
investments in rural public infrastructur e in the service of the economic activities of actors in the 
agricultural sector; 3)  increasing exports of agricultural and fishing products and increasing the 
added value in the country; 4)  sustainable development of rural tourism and agro tourism; and 
5) increased support for agriculture, livestock and rural development.  
3.41.  To achieve this goal during 2010 -15, domestic financial support to agriculture is increased, 
complying with WTO  Agreement  on Agriculture. Since 2016, the national support schemes are 
redesigned, including schemes aimed at: increasing the competitiveness of livestock and agricultural 
products in protected environments, reducing costs, through payments for registered animals as 
well as for cultivated surface;  certification of agricultural pr oducts and organic farms; construction 
of agricultural products markets and live animal markets in some municipalities of the country; 
improving energy efficiency and adapting fishing capacities to fish resources; oil support for 
agriculture for the perfor mance of mechanized works in agricultural crops and support for training 
and knowledge transfer in the field of agriculture and rural development.  
3.42.  As part of EU funded Pre -Accession Assistance, the Instrument for Pre -Accession Assistance 
for Rural Developm ent (IPARD) funds support to the agri -food sector and rural areas in accession 
countries. IPARD II Programme is being implemented from 2018 (the first call for applications was 
launched on end of October  2018 after granting entrustment budget implementatio n tasks by DG 
Agri). The IPARD complements and operates in parallel with the National Agricultural Support 
Scheme and it is also implemented by the ARDA. Implementation of IPARD II started at the end of 
2018 and is still ongoing as the rule of n+3 is appli ed. The total grant funding of the programme is 
EUR 71 million as EU contribution and EUR 23.6 million  as Government of Albania contribution and 
it contributes to the sector, focusing on investments in physical assets of agricultural holdings; 
investments in physical assets concerning processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery 
products and farm diversification and business development.  
3.43.  For the period 2021 -27, the total planned funding envelope under IPARD -III amounts to 
EUR 146.4  million, of which  EUR 34.4 million from the national budget. As an EU programme, 
IPARD  sets the framework for eligible support, identifying 13  measures aligned to the EU's Common 
Agricultural Policy. The Albanian programme includes support in nine of these measures, with m ore 
than half of total support foreseen for investments in physical assets of agricultural holdings as well 
as those concerning processing and marketing of agricultural and fishery products. Other important 
areas of support are for farm diversification and  business development and investments in rural and 
public infrastructure. This represents a significant increase in the number of types of measures 
included under the Albanian programme under IPARD -III, as IPARD -II only provided support in four 
areas.  
3.44.  During 2016 -22, exports of agriculture products have increased, especially the exports of 
edible vegetables and certain roots; edible fruit and nuts; fish and crustaceans, molluscs; 
preparation of meat of fish or of crustaceans; oil seeds and oleaginous fruits ; preparation of cereals, 
flour, starch or milk and preparation of vegetables, fruit nuts. The export -import ratio of agriculture 
products in 2016 was 3.96 while in 2022 was 2.89, improving by 1.04.  WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  3.45.  Regarding  irrigation and drainage Infrastructure, accordi ng to the programme of the Ministry 
of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) named "Management of irrigation and drainage 
infrastructure ", financed by State Budget, during the period 2016 -22, for the operation & 
maintenance and rehabilitation & moderniz ation of the existing irrigation and drainage 
infrastructure, are invested and spent about EUR 210 million, to support farmers. The decentralized 
for irrigation and drainage functions to municipalities and the restructuring of Regional Drainage 
Boards has been the major changes in the field of water management.  
3.46.  Current policies regarding the  fishing sector  are focused on defining rules and implementing 
measures for fishing management, protection of living resources of the marine and inland waters 
and limiti ng the environmental impact of fishing activity. These include (but are not limited to) the 
setting of fishing quotas, fleet capacity management, market and aquaculture regulations, and 
support for small -scale fisheries and coastal communities. The perspec tive for the sustainable 
development of the fisheries sector in Albania is its development considering it an important 
component of the blue economy and integrating it with its other components. The development of 
new markets, technologies and products by facilitating investments and supporting the transfer and 
acquisition of research and innovation in the framework of the protection of living resources of the 
marine and inland waters, will create jobs and at the same time improve development in socio -
econo mic and cultural level as well as the environmental impact of this activity so important for 
coastal communities.  During the year 2022, for the first time, budget funds have been provided for 
the implementation of supporting measures for the fisheries sect or such as support measures for 
the purchase of professional commercial fishing vessels, replacing existing fishing vessels with gross 
tonnage and engine power less than or equal to the existing fishing vessel, for the renewal of fishing 
vessel infrastruct ure and subsidizing diesel fuel for fishing vessels as a result of the specific situation 
created by the war in Ukraine.  
3.2.2   Trade in services  
3.47.  International trade in services has recorded a positive balance or surplus for three consecutive 
years (2016 -19). A d ecrease was noted in 2020 due to the pandemic situation of COVID -19. Exports 
of services represent approximately 20% of GDP, whereas the average share of imports of services 
to GDP in the period 2016 -22 was close to 12%. In 2017, on the exports side, Manuf acturing services 
on physical inputs owned by others made up about 12% of total export receipts, travel services 
around 60%, transport services 8% and other services around 21%. On the imports side, travel 
services accounted for about 73% of expenditures, transport services for 11% and other services 
for 16% of total services imports. Around half of the non -residents travelling to Albania came from 
Greece; and the remaining part are visitors from other countries such as Italy, Kosovo, 
North  Macedonia , Germa ny, Montenegro , etc. 
3.48.  Main destinations for residents travelling abroad are Italy, Greece and Kosovo. On the inflows 
side, the data indicate a higher number of travel lers, a shorter duration of stay and lower average 
daily expenditures compared to the indicators calculated for travel expenditures abroad.  
3.2.2.1   Financial sector  
3.49.  During the period 2016 -22 the financial assets have remained primarily dominated by banking 
activity, almost unchangeable at 91%. At end of 2022, the rest of the financial assets are al located 
at non -bank financial institutions by 3 .9%, at insurance companies by 2.1%, at investment funds 
by 2%, at loan and saving associations by 0 .7% and at private pension funds by 0.3%. During the 
six years period the total financial system activity gre w by more than 33%. However, its composition 
landscape has changed considerably. Due to consolidation occurrences the number of banks fell 
at 11 from 16 in 2016. On the contrary, the number of non -bank financial institutions expanded 
at 38 by 2022 from 28 in 2016. An increase in the number of investment funds have been also 
observed during the reference period while the other mentioned institutions have not been affected 
from such changes.  
3.50.  At the end of 2022, the remaining structure of the financial system is represented by 
12 insurance companies and 1 reinsurance company, 6 management companies, of which 4 are 
management companies that administer voluntary pension funds and collective investment 
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  undertakings, 4 voluntary pension funds, 11 open ended publicly offered, 2 alternative investment 
funds.  
3.2.2.2   Banking  
3.51.  A stable financial system is important for safeguarding macroeconomic stability, for ensuring 
the transmission of the monetary policy and for deepening the financial intermediation. Bank of 
Albania designs macro prudential policy for the entire financial system, with the objective of 
promoting the financial system stability and its contribution to economic growth.  
3.52.  The fin ancial system in Albania is concentrated and dominated by the banking sector. There 
are 11 banks in the country, 6 of which are foreign -owned banks whereas 2 of them are part of large 
European groups. Five of the banks are owned by domestic capital, which has been a strong trend 
during the reference period that can also be observed with the increase of their assets share 
from 17.4% in 2016 to 33.8% by the end of 2022. There are four major banks in the Albanian 
banking sector, with foreign capital from Türki ye, Austria, Italy and domestic capital. These banks 
represent 68% of the total banking sector's assets and deposits and 57% of lending activity.  
3.53.  Financial intermediation in Albania, estimated as the ratio of financial system assets to GDP, 
was 97% in 2022 . Banking sector assets in a 6 -year time period (2016 -22) increased on average by 
5.6%. Lending activity increased by 3.2% on average annually whereas the largest drawbacks were 
related to the repercussions of the pandemic and the macroeconomic imbalances related to the war 
in Ukraine.  
3.54.  This positive trend mainly reflects the increase consolidation processes in banks, the 
increasing share of domestic banks and the relatively stable economic growth. Several measures 
undertaken by Bank of Albania, in cooperati on with the government, for the reduction of the 
non-performing loans have reduced such burden on banks and created a steadier environment for 
economic intermediation. Additionally, there were drastic interventions during the pandemic that 
provided banks w ith ample space to restructure their loans and a special initiative, called the Tirana 
Approach, aided in improving banks bank's asset quality. As a result, the ratio of non -performing 
loans was recorded at 5% on December  2022 from the double -digit figure of 18.2% in  2016.  
3.55.  The banking activity continued to be fundamentally financed by deposits, which accounted for 
about 81% of total assets. The loan -to-deposit ratio is around 47%. The deposits volume increased 
on average by 6.2% in the last six five years, driven mainly by foreign currency deposits. The foreign 
currency deposit increased at a higher margin of 5.6% on average annually versus the increase 
4.7% of domestic currency ones Dependence of the banking sector on external sources of funding 
is very lim ited. The banking sector's net position to non -residents remained considerably on the 
crediting side. The liquidity position of the banking system remained strong. The banking sector 
exposure to liquidity risk was low. Liquidity ratios (liquid assets to sh ort-term liabilities), liquidity 
coverage ratio (LCR) and net stable funding ratio (NSFR), both in ALL and in foreign currency, are 
above the minimum regulatory requirements.  
3.2.2.3   Non-banking  
3.56.  Currently, in the Albanian insurance market operate 12 insurance companies, of which 
8 non-life insurance companies, 4 life insurance companies and one undertaking licensed to carry 
out reinsurance activity. The insurance market since 2016 has continued to expand showing an 
increasing trend in GWP from 2016 to  2022, the insurance market experienced an average increase 
of around 8% in terms of gross written premiums, without considering the effect of the COVID -19 
in the year 2020. Historically, the market has been oriented towards the non -life insurance. The 
main regulatory development for the sector during the period under review was the adoption of the 
new Law "On compulsory insurance in the transport sector" approved by the Parliament on 
16 March  2021 and which entered into force on 1  July 2021. This law is pa rtially aligned with 
Directive  2009/103/EC relating to insurance against civil liability in respect of the use of motor 
vehicles.  
3.57.  The basic law regulating the voluntary pension funds ' market, is the Law No. 10197 , dated 
10 December  2009 "On voluntary pensi on funds", which has been in effect since 2009. AFSA has 
drafted a new law on "Private Pension Funds" in order to comply with Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  the European Parliament and of the Council dated December  2016 "On the activities and supervision 
of occupational pension institutions (IORP II)". It is expected to be approved in the Albanian 
Parliament during 2023. At the end of 2022, in this market operated four management companies, 
four voluntary pension funds and 3 banks as depositories of these pens ion funds. Data analysis of 
the voluntary private pension market as of 31  December  2022 shows a total of net assets of 
ALL 5.7 billion (about EUR  50 million). The number of members in this market operating at the end 
of December  2022 was 36,518 members.  
3.58.  The investment funds industry in Albania started in the beginning of the year 2012 and during 
these years, the investment funds ' market, has become the second largest market in terms of assets 
after the banking sector. During 2020 a new Law "On co llective investment undertakings (CIU) " 
came into effect and pursuant to this Law the regulatory framework was approved by AFSA. At the 
end of 2021 the net asset value CIU market reached about ALL  81.9 billion (about EUR  678 million). 
During 2022, this mar ket has been affected by the uncertainties in the international financial markets 
and consequently with the reaction from central banks everywhere in the world, including the Bank 
of Albania, with an increase in the base rate of interest and increased yiel ds in government debt 
instruments. At the end of 2022, in this market has been operational 11 open ended publicly offered 
investment funds and two alternative investment funds. The net asset value at the end of 2022 
reached about ALL  46.05  billion (about E UR 403 million) showing a decrease of 43.76%, compared 
to the end of 2021, impacted mainly by the decrease of net assets of open ended publicly offered 
investment funds, whereas the total of net assets of alternative investment funds has increased with 
9.21% compared to the end of 2021.  
3.59.  Albania 's capital market is at an early stage of development. The market is mainly dominated 
by the government securities market and an increasing volume of privately placed bonds. The 
outstanding volume of bonds issued thro ugh private placement at the end of 2022 was about 
EUR 123 million  an increase of about 48.5% in comparison to the end of 2021.  In April  2023 AFSA 
approved the first prospectus of bonds issued through public offering by a microfinance institution. 
These bo nds are currently admitted to trading on the Albanian Securities Exchange. A new 
Law No. 62/2020 "On Capital Markets" entered in force on 01 /09/2020 , which is aligned at a large 
extent with MiFID II. The regulatory framework based on the new capital market  law has been 
completed. At the end of 2022 in the Albanian securities operate 13 entities that provide investment 
services (mainly banks), of which 10 banks serve also as custodian banks for the safekeeping of 
financial instruments on behalf of clients. A lbanian Securities Exchange (ALSE), established with 
private capital was licensed in 2017 and since 2018 operational. Until 2022 only government 
securities were traded on the Albanian Securities Exchange. The trading volume since the beginning 
of the Excha nge operations in February  2018 until December  2022 is about EUR  31.9 million. The 
market infrastructure in support of further market development is already operational.  A policy 
document on capital market development, prepared by AFSA in collaboration wit h Ministry of Finance 
and Economy has been approved in April  2023 by the Council of Ministers.  
3.2.2.3.1   Electronic communication  
3.60.  The electronic communication sector in the Republic of Albania is regulated by Law No. 9918, 
dated 19 /05/2008  which as amended by Law No. 92/2019, dated 18 /12/2019 . The 
Law No. 9918/2008, as amended, is based on EU approach of the relevant period and has foreseen 
the access and interconnections regulation. Further improvement (transposition and full alignment 
with EECC) is expected with adoption of new electronic communication la w to be approved within 
2023. The authority of Electronic and Postal communication in line with the objective of the Law "On 
electronic communications in the Republic of Albania" takes into consideration regulation and best 
practices of EU member States an d BEREC, considering national circumstances.  
3.61.  In 2016, it has been approved a new regulation of AKEP which replaced former AKEP 
regulation of 2010, introducing more clear rules and several operational changes to number 
portability. During 2022, 44 ,243 mobil e numbers and 911  fixed numbers were ported.  
3.62.  During the period under review, the telecommunication sector in Albania has significantly 
developed. A national masterplan wad adopted in June  2020 for the sustainable development of 
digital infrastructure for b roadband. Fixed broadband users has experienced significant growth in 
Albania during the period under review also, in the mobile market there has been significant increase 
especially in coverage of LTE (3G and 4G+) networks up to 99% of the population. Sub scriptions of WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  mobile broadband grew by a third from 60 to 84 per 100 inhabitants during the period while the 
total number of Internet subscriptions (fixed and mobile) passed the threshold of 100% in 2022.  
3.63.  On 24  December  2020, it was approved a new National  Frequency Plan. This frequency plan 
is based on international best practices. The most important frequency bands for 5G cellular 
networks are included in this plan. A Regional Roaming Agreement (RRA) "On the price reduction of 
the roaming services in Publ ic Mobile communication Networks in the Western Balkans Region " was 
signed on 4  April 2019. Regional Roaming Agreement started implementation from 1  July 2019. 
RLAH was in place in the Western Balkans from 1  July 2021. 
3.2.2.3.2   Postal service  
3.64.  The postal sector is r egulated by Law  No. 46/2015 "On postal services" which transposes the 
EU Directive  2002/59/EC on postal services, as amended. The implementing sublegal acts are also 
adopted. The postal market is liberalised and since January  2017, the reserved area was ab olished. 
The Decision of Council of Ministers No. 207, dated 6 /4/2022  approved the policy document of postal 
services in the Republic of Albania,  2021 and following, and set concrete and operational objectives 
for all stakeholders, in view of developing an d improving the postal sector in line with the EU acquis 
and in particular for accommodating technological innovations and prompting e -commerce. A sub 
legal act on cross border parcel delivery was also approved by Instruction of Minister of 
Infrastructure and Energy No.  5 of 25 /6/2021  "On the approval of the regulation on cross border 
parcel delivery services " aligned with EU Regulation 2018/644. In June  2023, there were 
31 postal  services operators licensed/authorized by AKEP.  
3.2.3   Trade policy coordination and  monitoring  
3.65.  As previously reported, since 2016, Albania has established the National Committee for Trade 
Policy Coordination. The Committee is functional and meets 3 -4 times a year. The Committee 
functions based on the internal regulation "On functioning o f the Inter -Institutional Group for 
Coordination of Trade Policy and Trade Facilitation ", approved by the Minister of Finance and 
Economy. The first Action Plan on Trade facilitation, 2017 – 2020 approved by the Committee has 
been mostly completed and actu ally, it is under implementation the Action Plan, 2021 – 2023.  
3.66.  The new Order of the Prime Minister No. 104 dated 07 /08/2020  "On the establishment of the 
inter-institutional group for the coordination of trade policy and trade facilitation" expanded the 
scope of the tasks of this Committee, by including areas of trade in services in its mandate.  
4  TRADE POLICY OBJECTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT  
4.1  Participation in WTO negotiations  
4.1.  Since the last Trade Policy Review in 2016, Albania has submitted in total 142  notificat ions to 
WTO Secretariat. Regarding notifications on agriculture on domestic support for several years, 
Albania has asked the technical assistance of WTO Secretariat on preparation of these notifications. 
In May  2023, the WTO Secretariat hold to Albanian re presentatives an introduction to TRIPS 
transparency mechanisms, to the e -TRIPS Submission System in order to go to online notifications 
regarding TRIPS.  
4.2.  Albania has cosponsored different WTO initiatives such as: MSMEs, Structured Discussions on 
Investment for Development, on Electronic commerce, Trade and Health, Trade and Sustainable 
Environment, Informal Dialogue on Plastics Pollution and Environmentally Sustainable Plastics Trade,  
and on Service Domestic Regulation.  
4.3.  With the approval of the Law No. 7/201 6 "For the acceptance of the Protocol amending the 
Marrakesh Agreement establishing the World Trade Organization " Albania acceded at the Agreement 
on Trade Facilitation. Albania deposed the instrument of acceptance at 10  May 2016 and has done 
all the notif ications coming from this agreement. Based on the Law No. 30/2018 "For admission of 
Schedule CXLVI of extending the list of the technology agreement of information, within the 
framework of the World Trade Organization " Albania accepted the schedule CXLVI o f the extension 
of the list of information technology agreement, within the World Trade Organization.  The 
implementation of Schedule CXLVI was done through the Law No. 128/2016 "On some amendments WT/TPR/G/449 • Albania  
 
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  to Law  No. 9981, dated 8 /9/2008 , 'On the approval of the le vels of customs duties ', as amended", 
the fees of list CXLVI of the expansion of the list of the technology agreement of information. 
WTO Joint Statement Initiative on Service Domestic Regulation was approved by the Albanian 
parliament with Law  No. 91/2022 , dated 22 /12/2022 . WTO  Agreement  on Subsidies in Fishing was 
ratified by Parliament and the Law No. 42/2023 has been published at the Official Gazette dated 
5 July 2023. Albania will send soon  the acceptance document to WTO Secretariat.  
4.4.  With regard to the accession to GPA, In September  2022, a Negotiating Group for the Accession 
to the WTO GPA was established by the Order of Prime Minister headed by the Public 
Procurement  Agency. In October  2022, Albania submitted at the Secretary of the WTO Committee 
on Public Procurement (CGP), upon to their request, an update the Committee, on Albanian domestic 
developments that affect the commitment to accede to the WTO  Agreement  on Public 
Procurement  (GPA).  Albania took part at the meeting of WTO Committee of GPA of 7  June 2023 and 
reported on the recent developments. Albania submitted the Checklist at WTO Secretariat, in 
27 July 2023. 
4.2  Albania's accession process to the European  Union 
4.5.  Accession to the Europe an Union  (EU) continuous to be one of the strategic objectives of the 
Albanian Government. This aim can be achieved only through the full implementation of the 
Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and the fulfilment of the Copenhagen requirements,  
as preconditions for accession to the EU. The SAA was signed in 2006 and entered into force on 
1 April 2009 marking an important moment towards the EU Integration process. Since 2006, the 
Government of Albania approves a special Plan for the implementatio n of the SAA. The National Plan 
for European Integration, a three -year rolling plan, is the planning instrument for the approximation 
of the Albanian legislation with the EU acquis. It includes all the strategic documents related to EU 
accession process an d the planned Albanian acts that aim to approximate the EU acquis. The National 
Plan for European Integration 2023 – 2025 was approved with the Decision of Council of Ministers 
on 01 /03/2023  "On the approval of the National Plan for European Integration 20 23 – 2025". 
4.6.  The Albanian Government started the EU accession negotiations with the European  Union  on 
the 19th of July  2022, at the first EU - Albania intergovernmental conference. The screening process 
was officially launched on the same day, and on 15  September  2022. The screening based on the 
six clusters of the new methodology of accession negotiations will be finalized by November  2023. 
Based on the European Commission Calendar the screening process will be concluded within 
November  2023. Till July  2023, Albania has finalized the screening of the first cluster 
"Fundamentals ", second cluster "Internal Market " and third cluster "Competitiveness and Inclusive 
Growth ". The explanatory and bilateral meetings were held with high motivation and strict schedule; 
clear plans for future approximation of the acquis were given and Albania has committed itself to 
fulfil all the obligations for EU integration.  
4.3  Regional integrati on 
4.7.  CEFTA agreement of 2006 and its implementation is a very important one for Albania to 
increase the trade potentials in the region. Since the last Trade Policy Review, significant 
amendments are done at CEFTA Agreement. In response to the need for furthe r deepening of trade 
integration in the region, CEFTA parties  concluded the negotiations on Additional Protocol 5, which 
Albania ratified with the Law No. 18/2018 "On the ratification of Additional Protocol 5 of the 
Agreement on the Amendment and Accession  to the Central European Free Trade Agreement". At 
CEFTA level, this protocol entered into force on 18 April 2018. In order to further deepening trade 
integration in the region, CEFTA parties concluded the Additional Protocol 6 that aims at further 
liberal ization of trade in services, which Albania ratified with the Law No. 46/2020 "For the 
ratification of Additional Protocol 6 of the Agreement on the Amendment and Access to the Central 
European Free Trade Agreement". At CEFTA level, the protocol entered in to force 
on 11 January  2011. This protocol is based on the main provisions of the General Agreement on 
Trade in Services in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and comes as a result of the commitment 
to further liberalization of the sectors where commitment  has been made. Currently, Albania is 
engaged in the negotiations of the dispute settlement mechanism named Additional Protocol 7, 
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  4.8.  On 10  November  2020, at the Sofia Summit, leaders of the six Western Balkan countries 
endorsed the Action Plan for the establishment of the Common Regional Market (CRM AP 2021 -24). 
Part of the measures for implementation of AP5, AP6 and AP7 are included at the Action 
Plan 2021-2024 for Common Regional Market. This Plan will bring tangible and concrete results to 
the benefit of citizens and companies from the region.  
4.9.  Since 2016, Albania and Kosovo have signed different agreements such as the on -work 
mobility, intellectual property, investment cooperation, customs procedures. On September  2022, 
the agreement betw een Albania and Kosovo on the implementation of mutual/reciprocal facilities in 
customs procedures and/or goods entry -exit control entered into force.  
4.10.  Albania continues to implement the Free Trade Agreement with the EU, the EFTA countries, 
CEFTA as well as  with Türkiye.