COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Albania Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Albania, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 928 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                                   Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Albania Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                                     The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 922 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT  

Albania continued implementing the judicial reform strengthening judicial independence and 
prosecutorial autonomy.  The vetting process of all judges and prosecutors was finalised in first 
instance,  further  strengthening  accountability.  Challenges  remain  regarding  timely  and 
qualitative  evaluations,  and  appointments  of  non-magistrate  members  to  the  High  Judicial 
Council and the High Prosecutorial Council. The High Justice Inspector is operational, but the 
high  number  of  magistrate-inspector  vacancies  affects  its  effective  operation.  While  the 
resilience  of  the  judiciary  improved,  attempts  of  undue  influence  on  the  judicial  system  by 
public  officials  or  politicians  aggravated.  Sufficient  budget  was  allocated  for  the  modern 
integrated electronic case management system, but full operability is foreseen only for 2030. 
Shortcomings  remain  regarding the quality  of justice including  in  access to  justice,  judicial 
training, financial and human resources. Challenges regarding the length of proceedings and 
backlog increased, while decisive measures to increase efficiency are yet to be implemented. 

The Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2024-2030 has been adopted. The legal framework to fight 
corruption  is  broadly  in  place,  but  legislation  on  prevention  of  corruption  needs  to  be 
completed.  The  Special  Anti-Corruption  Structure  (SPAK)  further  consolidated  its  positive 
results in fighting high-level corruption and made tangible progress towards a solid track record 
in the fight against corruption. The institutional framework for prevention continues to have a 
limited impact and coordination with law enforcement remained weak. The state police remains 
vulnerable to corruption. Shortcomings remain with transparency and how effectively the High 
Inspectorate  for  the  Declaration  and  Audit  of  Assets  and  Conflicts  of  Interest  checks 
declarations of assets and interests.  

The  independence  of  the  Audio-Visual  Regulatory  Authority  remains  an  issue  of  concern. 
Concerns  as  regards  the  independence  of  the  public  broadcaster  have  increased.  High 
concentration of media ownership continues to negatively impact media independence. Media 
market penetration by high profile business groups with political links also remain a serious 
concern. Shortcomings in terms of fair allocation of state advertising and other state resources 
as  well  as  the  right  to  access  to  information  remain.  Verbal  and  physical  attacks,  smear 
campaigns  and  strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  targeting  journalists  are  a 
continued cause for concern and self-regulation remains weak.  

Challenges regarding the quality of the legislative process, including limited effectiveness of 
public consultations, remain. Shortcomings exist regarding the work, methodology and impact 
of the ad hoc parliamentary committee on deepening reforms for good governance, rule of law 
and anti-corruption. The Constitutional Court continues to function effectively, while there are 
concerns about the Parliament’s ongoing failure to comply with some of its rulings, and legal 
uncertainty regarding the precise duration of the mandate of its members. The mandates of the 
Ombudsperson  and  the  Commissioner  against  Discrimination  still  need  to  be  renewed,  and 
some obstacles to their effective working remain. Civil society organisations remain overall 
free to operate, but challenges remain including on registration requirements and limited public 
funding. 

1 

 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1 

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Albania continues to be average among 
both the general public and companies. Overall, 47% of the general population and 40% of 
companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to be ‘fairly or very good’ 
in 20252. The perceived judicial independence among the general public has slightly increased 
in comparison with 2024 (46%), while among companies it decreased in comparison with 2024 
(45%). 

the 

implementing 

strengthening 

judicial  reform, 

judicial 
Albania  continued 
independence and prosecutorial autonomy. A revised Cross-Sector Justice Strategy 2024-
2030  was  adopted3.  The  implementation  of  the  judicial  reform  continued.  The  aim  of  this 
reform is to promote integrity and professionalism across the judiciary, including through the 
vetting  process,  reduced  political  influence  throughout  the  appointment  process,  and  by 
contributing  to  more merit-based career system.  The interinstitutional coordination between 
the  Councils  and  other  justice  institutions  has  not  improved.  A  more  effective  steering 
mechanism  and  coordination  of  all  justice  institutions  needs  to  be  ensured  during  the 
implementation of the justice reform strategy. This relates to the need to intensify exchanges4, 
ensure the systematic follow up to joint meetings of the High Judicial Council and the High 
Prosecutorial Council by way of operational conclusions, consultations with stakeholders, or 
coordination of measures and standards regarding the quality of justice5.  

The vetting process of all judges and prosecutors was finalised in first instance, further 
strengthening accountability, while gaps to maintaining the high standards set during the 
vetting  process  remain.  The  vetting  bodies  have  finalised  the  vetting  in  first  instance  in 
November 2024. The overall outcome of decisions in first instance, and where applicable on 
appeal, resulted in 282 dismissals and terminations (56 % of cases); 350 confirmations in office 
(44% of cases); and 4 suspension decisions, with the obligation to undergo training (0.49% of 
cases).  110  appeals  remain  pending6.  The  Appeal  Chamber  increased  the  pace  of  appeals, 
including through the appointment of four additional staff, and is currently on track towards 
finalising of the vetting on appeal before the end of the constitutional deadline of June 2026. 
The  vetting  bodies  referred  19  vetting  cases  to  prosecution  in  September  2024.  Effective 
judicial follow up remains to be observed7. To maintain accountability of the judicial system 
after the vetting process, the High Prosecutorial Council, the High Judicial Council, the High 
Justice Inspector, and the High Inspectorate of Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts 
of  Interest  must  update  their  internal  procedures,  and  ensure  they  have  enough  staff  and 

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here. 
2   Flash Eurobarometer 554 and 555 (2025); Flash Eurobarometer 540 and 541 (2024). The level of perceived 
judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents  perceive  judicial 
independence  as  fairly  good  and  very  good);  low  (between  30-39%),  average  (between  40-59%),  high 
(between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

In June 2025, the first joint meeting took place with two other scheduled for July and September 2025. 

3   Albanian Government (2024b), Decision No. 787 on the approval of the Justice Strategy. 
4  
5   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 8. 
6  
7   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 3-4. Thus far, in three cases the district prosecutors’ offices decided not 
to initiate criminal proceedings; three referrals are in the preliminary verification process and in 13  cases 
criminal proceedings have been registered and investigation is ongoing. 

International Monitoring Operation (2025). 

2 

 
 
 
resources  to  keep  carrying  out  integrity  and  proficiency  checks  in  line  with  the  vetting 
standards8.  

Previously  identified  shortcomings  in  the  appointments  of  non-magistrate  members  to 
the  High  Judicial  Council  and  the  High  Prosecutorial  Council  remain.  The  Parliament 
appointed three non-magistrate members of the High Judicial Council and three non-magistrate 
members of the High Prosecutorial Council in September 20249. The process had been delayed 
and remained heavily influenced by the Parliament due to frequent use of disqualifications and 
recourse to drawing of lots, without due regard to the highest qualifications of the candidates10. 
As  reported  previously,  shortcomings  persist  in  practice  and  in  the  legal  framework  on  the 
appointment procedure of non-magistrate members, who are not subject to the same standards 
for background checks and asset verification as magistrate members, affecting the transparency 
and meritocracy of the process11.  

Challenges in conducting timely and qualitative evaluations, appointments, promotions, 
and transfers of magistrates remained, and the Councils lack important operating rules. 
Both the High Judicial Council (HJC) and the High Prosecutorial Council (HPC) continue to 
face  challenges  in  ensuring  timely  and  qualitative  evaluations  of  magistrates’  performance. 
They  have  accumulated  a  large  backlog  of  evaluations,  which  delays  merit-based 
appointments, promotions and transfers12. Since July 2024, the HPC finalised 21 evaluations, 
and  the  HJC  completed  11  evaluations  based  on  the  legal  framework  in  force13.  The  HJC 
finalised  32  appointments,  3  promotions,  16  temporary  transfers  and  2  lateral  transfers  of 
judges. The HPC finalised 23 appointments, 4 promotions, and 5 transfers of  prosecutors14. 
There was no significant development from HJC and HPC in strengthening the transparency 
of promotions and transfers15. The HJC lacks the necessary internal operating rules to carry out 
its functions effectively, and those of the HPC need revising. Both Councils lack internal rules 
of procedure on conflicts of interest of their members, resulting in potential conflicts of interest 
not being addressed16.  

The High Justice Inspector is operational, but the high number of magistrate-inspector 
vacancies affects its effective operation.  While the inherited backlog was cleared in 2023, 
1 363 cases from that year were carried over to 2024. In 2024, the High Justice Inspector (HJI) 

8   Albanian Government (2025a), p. 2. Some preparatory work has started to strengthen institutional capacities, 
including the addition of three councillors in the HPC budget for 2026-2028, and Albania states its intention 
to prepare a study outlining the relevant vetting standards. 

9   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 8. 
10   2024 Enlargement Report, Albania p. 28. The Parliament failed to reach the required two thirds majority and 
resorted to drawing of lots. Though in line with Law No. 115/2016 on Governance Institutions of the Justice 
System governing the selection process (Articles 35 (13)-(14) and Article 58 (2)), the use of lots does not 
observe the merit-based ranking to the detriment of the meritocracy of the process. 

11   2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Albania,  pp.  4-5;  Albanian  Government  (2025a),  p.  3.  Given  that  the  existing 
constitutional  and  legal  mechanisms,  which  have  been  repeatedly  used  to  unblock  procedural  deadlocks, 
specifically the drawing of lots, do not ensure the selection of the most highly qualified candidates and thus 
do not guarantee  a merit-based selection process,  Albania stated the intention to  change the  legislation in 
force. 

12   2024 Enlargement Report, Albania, p. 28. 
13   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 16-17. Albanian Government (2025a), p. 5. 
14   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 13. 
15   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 4; Albanian Government (2025a), p. 6. The HJC states its intention to 

strengthen transparency on promotions and transfers. 

16   2024 Enlargement Report, Albania, p. 28; Albanian Government (2025a), p. 7.  The HPC states the intention 
to  work  on  draft  amendments  to  the  internal  regulation,  including  the  by-laws  regarding  the  conflict  of 
interest. 

3 

 
 
 
registered 1 491 new cases and processed 1 374 cases. 1 480 cases were carried over to 202517. 
Only  9  out  of  20  inspectors  are  currently  in  office.  The  selection  of  four  non-magistrate 
inspectors is ongoing18. There are still challenges in making the inspector position attractive 
for magistrates19 and legal changes are needed to increase its appeal. The recruitment procedure 
for the secondment of six magistrates to the HJI has been unsuccessful20. In terms of operations, 
the  HJI  initiated  requests  for  disciplinary  proceedings  against  15  magistrates  including  six 
judges and nine prosecutors in 2024 and completed six thematic inspections21. After review 
from the High Judicial Council, two requests for disciplinary proceedings have been accepted, 
one  has  been  rejected,  one  has  been  suspended,  one  has  been  terminated  without  a  final 
decision,  and  one  is  still  under  consideration.  After  review  from  the  High  Prosecutorial 
Council, one request has been accepted, but with a change of measure, two requests concerning 
the same prosecutor have been partially accepted with a change of measure, two  have been 
rejected, one has been terminated without a final decision, two have been suspended pending 
the Appeal Chamber’s decision, and one is still under consideration22. 

The random allocation of cases is applied in courts, although its overall efficiency remains 
to be improved, and it is only limitedly applied in the prosecution service. Although rules 
on random  allocation of cases remained in  place, due to  continued delays in  filling judicial 
vacancies in several courts, the random allocation of cases is still not applied consistently23. 
There  have  been  some  developments  with  the  random  allocation  of  cases  for  prosecutors, 
which started to be applied in practice at prosecution offices of first instance24.  

While  the  resilience  of  the  judiciary  has  improved,  attempts  by  public  officials  or 
politicians to exert undue interference and pressure on the judicial system raise serious 
concerns. During the reporting period, seven magistrates have been placed under protection, 
including one judge and six prosecutors. The Special Prosecutor’s Office launched one criminal 
investigation  concerning  attempted  pressure  against  a  magistrate  in  a  case  concerning  a 
Member  of  Parliament25.  The  investigation  and  arrest  of  an  elected  official,  confirmed  in 
February 2025 by the Special Structure Against Organised Crime and Corruption (SPAK)26 
Court,  triggered  unprecedented  public  reactions  by  the  executive  and  legislative  branches, 
including  attempts  to  put  pressure  on  SPAK  and  judicial  institutions.  This  raises  serious 
concerns27. SPAK published two letters of complaint to the Ministry of Interior and the State 
Police for failure to reinforce security and ensure the safety of SPAK personnel during a protest 
outside SPAK premises. The governing institutions of the judiciary issued public statements28, 
denouncing political pressure on the judiciary.  

17   High Justice Inspector (2025), p. 11. 
18   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 9. 
19   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 5. 
20   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 9. 
21   High Justice Inspector (2025), p. 4.  
22   High Justice Inspector (2025), pp. 4, 23-29. Albanian Government (2025a), p. 10. 
23    2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 5. 
24   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 14. 
25   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 19-21. Albanian Government (2025a), p. 15. 
26   Specialised bodies in charge of investigating, prosecuting and adjudicating corruption cases were established 
in 2016. These are the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK), comprising the Special Prosecution Office 
(SPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime courts 
(SPAK Courts, both of first instance and appeal). 

27   SPAK (2025a). 
28   High Judicial Council (2025b); Panorama.com.al (2025). 
4 

 
 
 
Quality  

including 

in  electronic  communication 

Implementation of the new judicial map was finalised but access to justice continues to 
tools, 
be  hampered  by  shortcomings, 
infrastructure and legal aid. The implementation of the judicial map adopted in July 2022 to 
optimise resources and increase efficiency29 was finalised. An electronic communication tool 
between the Tirana District Court and lawyers has been successfully piloted30. However, the 
lack  of  funding  to  expand  the  electronic  communication  tools  and  electronic  access  to  all 
courts’ files, especially the Court of Appeal, is limiting access to justice. While the Government 
allocated  the  necessary  premises  to  the  Court  of  Appeal,  the  court  infrastructure  remained 
overall poor31. The number of cases involving primary legal aid decreased from 7 008 in 2023 
to 6 220 in 2024, while the number of cases involving secondary legal aid increased from 773 
in 2023, to 904 in 2024.32 However, civil society organisations report insufficient access and 
limited quality of legal aid representation33.  

Sufficient  budget  has  been  allocated  for  the  implementation  of  a  modern  integrated 
electronic case management system in courts and prosecution offices, but full operability 
is foreseen only for 2030. Some progress was made with the allocation of state budget for the 
court component and the establishment of operations is foreseen for 2027, while the project to 
fully enable the system is expected to run until 203034. This timeline is too long and risks being 
detrimental  to  the  overall  quality  of  justice.  Despite  efforts  to  improve  cooperation, 
coordination among the actors remained limited, impacting the pace and joint approach toward 
an integrated system. 

Shortcomings remain regarding the overall quality of judicial training. Amendments to 
the  legal  framework  on  judicial  training  remain  necessary  to  strengthen  the  capacity  of  the 
School  of  Magistrates35.  Some  positive  actions  have  been  taken  to  increase  the  skills  of 
magistrates in the second year of training and to review relevant curricula of the first and second 
years36.  However,  a  comprehensive  review  of  the  initial  and  continuous  training  curricula 
remains necessary to increase their relevance and quality. The fact that magistrates who have 
resigned during vetting and are subject to a prohibition to hold high level judiciary positions 
are free to take up positions of training staff at the School of Magistrates continues to constitute 
a  major  shortcoming.  The  admission  exam  continues  to  present  shortcomings  in  terms  of 
quality and has not been significantly revised37.   

Shortage of financial and human resources, including magistrates, continues to negatively 
affect  the  quality  of  justice.  Although  the  filling  of  judicial  vacancies  continued,  with  32 

29   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 7.  
30   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 23. 
31   Albanian  Government  (2025c),  Council  of  Ministers  approved  on  20  March  2025  the  transfer  of  a  state-
owned property from the General Directorate of Taxation to the High Judicial Council. The property, located 
in Tirana, will serve as premises for the Appeal Court.  

31   2024 Enlargement Report, Albania, p. 31; People’s Advocate of Albania (2023), p. 68. The new judicial map 
reorganised the appeal courts into a single appeal court of general jurisdiction, which has caused a number of 
issues including the lack of infrastructure. 

32   Albanian Government (2025b)..  
33   Country visit Albania, Civil society organisations.  
34   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 23. 
35   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 8. 
36   Albanian Government (2025d),  pp. 25-26. 
37   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, pp.7-8.  

5 

 
 
 
judges and 23 prosecutors appointed as of July 2024, significant shortage persists, notably at 
appeal level. As of December 2024, 221 prosecutors out of 341 (65%) and 272 judges out of 
408  (67%)  were  effectively  employed38.  In  the  Court  of  Appeal,  two  judges  have  been 
appointed, bringing the number of judges in office to 28 out of 7839. An additional source of 
concern are the quotas decided by the High Judicial Council (HJC) and the High Prosecutorial 
Council (HPC) for the School of Magistrates (SoM) for the academic year 2025-2026, as they 
are largely insufficient to ensure that, in the medium term, vacancies will be gradually filled40. 
Increasing the number and quality of candidate magistrates and legal assistants admitted to the 
SoM is essential. Except for the High Court, all courts of general and specialised jurisdiction, 
at all levels, continued to function with acting chairs, as positions of permanent chairs have not 
been filled by the HJC despite the legal basis being in place41. Legal advisors’ positions remain 
limited. Legal changes are still necessary to provide a separate admission exam for magistrates 
and legal advisors, as well as a career progression path for the latter42. Out of 242 additional 
total staff requested by the justice institutions in 2024, only 133 additional employees were 
approved by the Parliament43. A comprehensive human resources plan, including planning per 
each category of additional staff, is missing. While the Government has continued to increase 
investments in the justice system over the past years, the allocations remain below the amounts 
needed  by  justice  institutions44.  Albania’s  expenditure  on  justice  as  a  whole  remains 
significantly low45.  

The High Court addressed some problems of consistency and reasoning in the case law. 
The  High  Court  continued  to  unify  the  case  law  through  regularly  identifying  issues  for 
unification,  issuing  internal  guidance  and  disseminating  key  decisions  monthly46.  However, 
problems of consistency of the case law remain47. With the publication of court rulings of the 
SPAK first instance court48, court rulings were made publicly available in a timely manner. 
Courts encounter serious challenges in timely reasoning of decisions.  

Efficiency 

Challenges  regarding  the  length  of  proceedings  and  the  large  backlog  have  further 
increased, while decisive measures to increase efficiency are yet to be implemented. The 
clearance rate remained well below 100% in 2023 and was particularly low in second instance 

38   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 27-28; Albanian Government (2025a), p. 17. 
39   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 28. 
40   Country  visit  Albania,  HJC  and  HPC;  Albanian  Government  (2025d),  p.  25.  The  number  of  quotas  for 
candidates to the School of Magistrates in 2025-2026 is 10 for judges, 12 for prosecutors, six for legal advisors 
and zero for legal assistants. The quotas for the preceding cohort were 20 for judges, 25 for prosecutors and 
15 for legal assistants (which were in turn lower than in the previous years).  

41   Country visit Albania. According to the HJC, it does not have a legal basis to proceed with appointments of 
Court Chairs. HPC did not identify the same problem and performs appointments of heads of Prosecution 
offices based on the legal basis in force.  

42   Law No. 115/2016 on Governance Institutions of the Justice System, Articles 244 (4) and 274. 
43   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 31. Additional staff includes legal assistants for the appeal Court, judicial 

secretaries, and support staff (IT, drivers etc).  

44   Albanian  Government  (2025d),  p.  31.  Out  of  71,331,485 ALL  requested,  48,330,988 ALL  budget  was 

approved.  

45   CEPEJ (2024), Dashboard Western Balkans – 2023 Data Collection. In 2023, Albania spent about EUR 73.7 
million  as  its  implemented  Judicial  System  budget,  reflecting  a  69,3%  increase  from  2022  (the  budget 
allocated was about EUR 74.23 million). This amounts to EUR 26,7 spent per inhabitant. 

46   Albanian Government (2025a), p. 19. 
47   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 9. 
48   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 34.  

6 

 
 
 
where it ranged between 43% and 63% for different types of cases (compared to between 87% 
and 94% for first instance cases)49. In comparison with 2022, disposition time further increased 
in 2023 for all categories of cases in first and second instance, in particular for second instance 
criminal  cases50.  The  reasons  indicated  by  courts  for  this  negative  trend  include  judicial 
vacancies as well as vacancies of legal assistants and secretaries, their insufficient continuous 
training,  and  the  lack  of  further  specialisation  of  judges.  However,  an  exception  was  the 
decrease of disposition time by 38,6% for administrative cases in second instance, driven by 
the increased number of resolved cases resulting from an increased number of judges in the 
Administrative  Court  of  Appeal.  At  the  same  time,  the  disposition  time  in  second  instance 
administrative cases remains very high overall51. The High Judicial Council (HJC) has not yet 
adopted a comprehensive roadmap on efficiency.  Concerns over the alignment with European 
standards of the amendments proposed in May 2024 as part of the strategy on backlog reduction 
by the HJC have so far not been resolved52. Alternative dispute resolution remains underused 
in practice53.  

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption in the public sector remained high. In the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index by 
Transparency International, Albania scores 42/100 and ranks 80th globally54. Nonetheless, this 
perception marks the best score for Albania over the past five years, confirming the positive 
impact  of  the  implementation  of  the  justice  reform.  The  2025  Special  Eurobarometer  on 
Corruption shows that 86% of respondents consider corruption widespread in their country (EU 
average 69%) and 45% of respondents feel personally affected by corruption in their daily lives 
(EU  average  30%).  As  regards  businesses,  85%  of  companies  consider  that  corruption  is 
widespread  (EU  average  65%)  and  63%  consider  that  corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing 
business  (EU  average  35%).  Furthermore,  56%  of  respondents  find  that  there  are  enough 
successful prosecutions to deter people from corrupt practices (EU average 30%), while 51% 

49   CEPEJ (2024), p. 16. The clearance rate in 2023 in first instance was 87% for civil and commercial litigious 
cases, 91% for administrative cases and 94% for the sum of severe and misdemeanour and/or minor criminal 
cases. In second instance cases, the clearance rate in 2023 was 46% for administrative cases and 63% for the 
sum of severe and misdemeanour and/or minor criminal cases. For civil and commercial litigious cases in 
second instance, data is not available for 2023. 

50   CEPEJ (2024), pp. 2, 16-20. In first instance, in 2023, the disposition time increased in comparison with 2022 
by 22,6% for civil and commercial litigious cases, 28,2% for administrative cases, and 12,5% for criminal 
cases. In second instance, in 2023 disposition time increased in comparison with 2022 by 66,7% in criminal 
cases. For civil and commercial cases in second instance, data for 2023 is not available.  

51   CEPEJ (2024), pp. 2, 16, 19; Albanian Government (2025d), p. 34. The disposition time for second instance 
administrative cases decreased from 8 680 days to 5 326 days. In contrast, the disposition time ranges from 
124  days  to  462  days  for  all  other  types  of  cases  (except  civil  and  commercial  litigious  cases  in  second 
instance, for which data is not available for 2023). 

52   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 9. “In May 2024 the High Judicial Council presented the strategy on 
backlog reduction, which entails important amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, the Civil Procedure 
Code, Administrative Law, and the law on the organisation of the judiciary. However, consistency of these 
legal  initiatives  with  the  general  principles  of  justice  reform  and  European  standards  is  yet  to  be  fully 
ensured.” A comprehensive roadmap on efficiency, including but not limited to measures to reduce backlog, 
remains necessary. 

53   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, pp. 8-9.  
54   Transparency International, Corruption Perceptions Index 2024 (2025). The level of perceived corruption is 
categorized as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (between 79-60), relatively high (between 59-50), high 
(scores below 50). 

7 

 
 
 
of  companies  believe  that  people  and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are 
appropriately punished (EU average 33%)55. 

The Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2024-2030 has been adopted. The new anti-corruption 
strategy  adopted  in  December  2024  by  the  Government56  focuses  on  high-risk  areas  for 
corruption (such as property, public procurement, health, education, customs, and taxation), 
with  an  emphasis  on  youth 
integrity  education  and  addressing  relevant  previous 
recommendations57. The anti-corruption strategy incorporated measures to enhance monitoring 
and  institutional  coordination  mechanisms.  However,  further  strengthening  of  institutional 
capacities, planning, coordination and monitoring mechanisms remain needed. 

Although  a  comprehensive  legal  framework  to  fight  corruption  exists,  certain  gaps 
remain.  The  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure  lacks  provisions  granting  competence  to  Special 
Courts for Anti-Corruption and Organised Crime over matters related to the execution of their 
judgments58. In May 2025, the Government sent the draft law on the asset recovery office to 
the Parliament for adoption59. Albania is not yet a signatory party to the OECD Anti-Bribery 
Convention60. 

SPAK  further  consolidated  its  positive  results  in  fighting  high-level  corruption,  while 
some shortages remain in terms of staff and infrastructure. The Special Anti-Corruption 
Structure (SPAK)61 and the anti-corruption and organised crime courts (SPAK courts) have 
delivered positive results in the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of corruption cases, 
including those involving politicians and high-level officials, as well as the protection of EU 
financial interests62. SPAK shows sound strategic vision and independence in contributing to 
the  fight  against  high-level  corruption,  despite  increased  political  pressure,  organised  crime 
groups and media. SPAK enjoys a high level of public trust. SPAK’s access to state databases 
was expanded63. SPAK actions continued towards establishing its case-management system64, 
consolidating  its  analytical  capacity  in  the  fight  against  organised  criminal  networks65,  and 
developing an action plan to reduce its backlog. The continuously increasing SPAK workload, 
and the insufficient staff and infrastructure still need to be addressed66. The number of referrals 

55  Data from Special Eurobarometer 561 (2025) and Flash Eurobarometer 558 (2025). 
56   Albanian Government (2024a).  
57   Albanian Government (2025d)pp. 40-41. GRECO (2025).  
58    2023 Screening report Albania, Cluster 1 – Fundamentals, p. 48. 
59   Albania reported to have established an asset recovery office within the Albanian State Police by a Minister’s 

order, however, its full functioning remains to be developed. 

60   OECD (2024); Albanian Government (2025a), p. 20. Albania states its intention to ratify the Convention by 

2027, according to the Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024-2030. 

61   Special Prosecution Office (SPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). 
62   Albanian  Government  (2025d),  pp.  49-50.  Specialised  bodies  in  charge  of  investigating,  prosecuting  and 
adjudicating  corruption  cases  were  established  in  2016.  These  are  the  Special  Anti-Corruption  Structure 
(SPAK), comprising the Special Prosecution Office (SPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 
and the Anti Corruption and Organised Crime courts (SPAK Courts, both of first instance and appeal). The 
General Prosecution Office (GPO) is competent to investigate cases of petty corruption. 

63   Albanian Government (2025d), p. 55. 
64   The system is expected to be operational in 2025.  
65   Including complex investigations, joint operations, also with international cooperation. 
66   Country  visit  Albania,  SPAK;  SPAK  (2025b).  The  legal  definition  of  high-level  corruption  sets  a  low 
threshold; as a result, SPAK receives a workload of cases which is too high compared to its current capacity 
and resources. SPAK courts indicate a shortage of administrative staff, lack of an effective case management 
system, and continuously increasing workload: the total number of new cases increased, with 2775 new cases 
in 2023, compared to 2059 new cases in 2022. 

8 

 
 
 
to SPAK from other authorities has decreased further and remains low67. Other structures for 
repression  of  corruption  continued  to  encounter  challenges  in  the  detection  and  effective 
investigation of corruption68.  

Tangible progress was made by SPAK towards a solid track record in the fight against 
corruption,  notably  at  high  level,  and  the  use  of  financial  investigations  and  asset 
confiscations  has  improved.  From  1  January  to  31  December  2024,  the  Special  Court  of 
Appeal  for  Corruption  and  Organised  Crime  (SPAK  appeal  court)  delivered 24  final 
adjudications,  with  106  persons  convicted  in  final  rulings  in  corruption  cases,  including  13 
convictions  in  high  level  cases  (including  former  Minister,  former  President  of  the 
Constitutional Court, former city mayors and other officials)69. SPAK’s human, technical and 
financial capacity for financial investigations and asset confiscations has improved70, and the 
level  of  total  asset  seizures  and  confiscations  remained  stable71.  The  seizure  of  assets  for 
corruption related crimes declined, while confiscation of assets for corruption-related crimes 
improved72. Albania reported to have established an asset recovery office within Albanian State 
Police,  but  its  full  functioning  remains  to  be  demonstrated.  The  systematic  use  of  special 
investigative  measures  has  improved,  although  the  gap  between  seizures  and  confiscations 
persists73.  

Although  some  organisational  steps  have  been  taken,  the  institutional  framework  for 
corruption prevention remains largely ineffective and coordination with law enforcement 
needs further strengthening. The General Directorate on Anti-Corruption (GDAC) has been 
transferred from the Ministry of Justice to the Minister of State for Public Administration and 
Corruption in June 202474. The GDAC underwent a re-organisation of capacities dealing with 
administrative investigation and risk assessment and to place greater emphasis on prevention, 
investigations. 
although 
Shortcomings persist as regards GDAC’s capacities to effectively oversee the implementation 
and assessment of preventive measures, along with thorough risk assessments. Some efforts 
have been made, particularly in high-risk areas for corruption, but effective implementation is 

it  also  remains  responsible  for  centralised  administrative 

67   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 52-53. During 2024, according to SPAK, there were 6 related referrals 
from  law  enforcement  agencies  during  2024,  namely  5  from  Albanian  State  Police  and  1  from  the  High 
Inspectorate for the Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflicts of Interest (HIDAACI).  

68    2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 11. Notably, the General Prosecution Office (GPO), Albanian State 

Police (ASP) and customs police. 

69    Albanian  Government  (2025f).  Other  subjects  include:  two  ex-Secretary-Generals,  an  ex-judge,  an  ex-
member  of  Special  Appeals  Chamber  and  four  ex-judicial  police  officers.  The  SPAK  first  instance  court 
convicted 93 persons in cases of corruption, including one former mayor for unlawful actions in the procedure 
to issue a construction permit and abuse of public funds. Regarding high level corruption, during the period 
January  2024  –  September  2024,  seven  criminal  proceedings  were  sent  to  trial  including  10  high-level 
officials. By 30 September 2024, six additional investigations in high level corruption cases were launched 
with  respect  to  14  individuals.  In  November  2024,  the  SPAK  appeal  court  pronounced  its  final  decision 
regarding the “Elbasan Incinerator case” with a harsher conviction than the first instance judgement for the 
former Minister and a former member of the Parliament; see more Albaniantimes.al (2024). 

70   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 65-66. The appointment of the Deputy Director of NBI allowed for the 

launch of the procedure to hire Judicial Police Services officers, as envisaged by the SPAK Law. 

71   Agency for Managing Seized and Confiscated Assets (2025). In 2024, seized assets were valued at EUR 22 
million, while confiscated assets were valued at EUR 10 million, compared to 21 and 11 million respectively 
reported in 2023. 

72   Agency for Managing Seized and Confiscated Assets (2025). The value of seized assets for corruption related 
crimes  dropped  from EUR  6 million  to  EUR  277  287,  while  confiscation  of  assets  for  corruption  related 
crimes increased from EUR 273 000 to EUR 869 000 in 2024. 

73   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 65-67. 
74   Council of Ministers (2024). 

9 

 
 
 
yet to be demonstrated75. Coordination between institutions in charge of corruption prevention 
and  relevant  law  enforcement  structures  remains  weak  and  the  number  of  referrals  further 
decreased. The State Audit Institution (ALSAI) has a stronger track record on judicial referrals 
and  cooperation  with  criminal  prosecution  bodies.  In  2024,  ALSAI  referred  13  cases  with 
criminal  elements  to  prosecution.  Additionally,  35  referrals  on  issues  that  require  further 
investigation were shared with prosecutorial bodies upon request76. 

Despite some anti-corruption efforts including the revision of the Law on the Police, the 
state police is still highly vulnerable to corruption. The Law on the Police has been revised, 
including  a  number  of  structural  changes77.  The  Police  Oversight  Agency  stepped  up  its 
activities. In 2024, the Agency received 1 704 citizen complaints regarding the State Police 
staff conduct directly and 3 334 through a dedicated police line. It launched 63 inspections, up 
from 51 in 2023, and recommended disciplinary investigations for 283 employees, 60% more 
than in 2023. The Disciplinary Investigation Commission imposed disciplinary measures on 
43  police  officers.  The  Agency  also  referred  463  law  enforcement  employees  to  criminal 
prosecution (35% more than in 2023), largely for “abuse of duty” and “passive corruption”78. 
With a view to ensuring the integrity of the police personnel, last year 62 individuals underwent 
periodic and transitional evaluation, with 46 decisions of confirmation, and dismissal from duty 
in one case79. In March 2025, an internal operation led by the SPAK and the State Police, in 
collaboration with the Police Oversight Agency, resulted in the arrest of three police officers, 
due to their alleged involvement with criminal groups80.  

Shortcomings remain in terms of effectiveness of verifications of declarations of assets 
and interests by the HIDAACI, including high-risk profiling. Declarations of assets and 
interests continued to be verified by High Inspectorate for the Declaration and Audit of Assets 
and Conflicts of Interest (HIDAACI), but they remain unpublished, with access possible upon 
request which constitutes a shortcoming81. In 2024, HIDAACI performed full verifications on 
211  candidates  to  judicial  authorities  and  35  officers  from  the  State  Police,  the  Republican 
Guard and Police Surveillance Agency. HIDAACI has approved and conducted full/periodic 
controls for 817 subjects in 2024, imposed 101 fines and referred 23 criminal or other cases to 
law  enforcement  agencies,  including  one  to  SPAK.  There  was  no  progress  regarding  the 
effectiveness  of  verifications  and  further  actions  seem  to  be  needed  as  to  verify  assets 
potentially concealed through private entities or proxies82. 

Some  steps  have  been  taken  towards  a  reform  of  the  conflict-of-interest  and 
whistleblowers’  legislation,  although  legislation  on  prevention  of  corruption  remained 
complex and incomplete. The regulation of revolving doors, conflicts of interests, lobbying 
and political party financing remained incomplete. The composition of the Ethics Commission 

75   2024 Rule of Law report, Albania, p. 12. 
76   State Audit Institution (2025), p. 27. 
77  GRECO (2025), p. 23. 
78   Police Oversight Agency (2025). 
79    Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 60-61. 
80  Balkanweb.com (2025).  The operation was based on evidence obtained from the encrypted "SkyECC" app, 
which indicated connections of these officials with criminal networks, primarily in the trafficking of narcotics. 
81   Only persons authenticated through an e-portal may file the requests for access, which must be authorised by 

HIDAACI. Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 76-77. 

82   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania; Country visit Albania, updates received from HIDAACI. 

10 

 
 
 
has  been  revised  to  exclude  political  members83.  While  some  preliminary  steps  were  taken 
towards strengthening the efficiency of the corruption prevention network, by advancing work 
on alignment of the law on the conflict of interest with European standards, further work is still 
needed as to fully align the laws on whistleblower protection, lobbying, donations and political 
party financing with European standards. The number of whistleblowers’ reports continued to 
be low. During 2024, HIDAACI reviewed six new whistleblower reports and two requests for 
protection against retaliation84, and in two cases an administrative fine was imposed85.  

Although  efforts  on  repression  and  prevention  have  increased,  corruption  remains 
prevalent in many areas, including in high-risk areas for corruption. Limited transparency 
in public procurement procedures, especially for public-private partnerships, remain a source 
of  concern86.  Specialisation  in  investigation  and  prosecuting  corruption  in  procurement  is 
weak.  The  misuse  of  state  funding  during  electoral  campaigns  remains  an  area  of  concern, 
despite the initiatives undertaken by the Central Electoral Commission to monitor and sanction 
violations including  corruption, in  relation  to  the legislative elections of  11 May 202587.  In 
response to  a parliamentary recommendation, SPAK adopted  a strategy to combat electoral 
crime,  including  the  establishment  of  investigative  teams  in  collaboration  with  the  Central 
Electoral Commission, the State Police, and other law enforcement agencies to prevent and 
investigate electoral crimes88. Corruption risks persist notably in health, education and within 
the police, as well as at the State Cadastre Agency, which are considered high-risk areas for 
corruption. Dedicated risk assessment plans are being developed by the Government in the area 
of public procurement and for the State Cadastre Agency89, which need to be supported by 
consolidation and digitalisation of cadastral data.  Internal checks and inspection mechanisms 
in the public administration remain ineffective90. 

III.   MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The independence of the Audio-Visual Regulatory Authority (AMA) remains an issue of 
concern, due to the bi-partisan formula for election of board members and their political 
affiliation. The 2025 Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) considers this to be an area of low risk 
referring  in  particular  to  the  risk  of  political  and  corporate  influence  in  the  appointment 
procedures of AMA Board members, the political affiliations of the Chair and Board members 
and shortcomings in enforcement of the Broadcasting Code on media outlets which largely air 

83   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 14; GRECO (2025), pp. 4, 8, 23. The second Compliance Report by 
GRECO for the 5th evaluation round on Albania notes that the following recommendations remain partially 
addressed: new law on conflicts of interest which is  in preparation, the effective functioning of the Ethics 
Commission, the monitoring mechanisms for the contacts of persons entrusted with top executive functions 
with lobbyists, and abstentions of (deputy) minister(s) from taking part in Council of Minister’s decisions 
due to potential conflict of interest. In general, GRECO noted that 18 out of 24 recommendations have been 
satisfactorily addressed, five have been partially addressed, and one remains unimplemented.  

84   Albanian Government (2025d), pp. 91-92. 
85   HIDAACI (2025). At the conclusion of the administrative investigations for the period 2016  – 2024, in 13 
cases, action was taken issuing an administrative fine, out of which 2 were issued during the reporting period. 

86   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, pp. 14-15. 
87   The Central Election Commission (CEC) has taken several initiatives to ensure election integrity, including 
establishing an Inter-Agency Coordination Protocol, a Live Reporting and Monitoring Module, and a social 
media monitoring platform to track public officials' online activities. Additionally, the CEC has upgraded its 
Electronic Financing Reporting Platform (PERF) to improve monitoring and reporting of electoral financing, 
with 96 monitors covering all regions in Albania. 

88   Albaniantimes.al (2025).   
89   Albanian Government (2025d),  p. 98. 
90   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 15. 

11 

 
 
 
pre-recorded political content by the government or political parties91. Self-regulation in the 
media sector remains weak and is hindered by limited resources, a polarised media landscape 
and ongoing use of inflammatory rhetoric in the public debate92. 

Concerns  with  regard  to  the  independence  of  the  public  broadcaster  have  increased. 
Procedural irregularities in the election process of a new  Director-General in January 2025 
further undermine the principles of merit-based selection and independence of the Albanian 
Public Broadcaster Albanian Radio Television (RTSH)93. The fact that the Steering Council 
decided to  disqualify candidates before the hearing phase and disregarded the secret  ballot 
procedure, breached the provisions in force94 and violated the principles of transparency and 
fairness95.  Following  these  irregularities,  the  Parliament  discharged  the  entire  Steering 
Council  of  RTSH,  in  apparent  contradiction  of  applicable  legislation  which  only  allows 
individual disqualification of Steering Council members subject to due process guarantees96. 
MPM 2025 has further increased the risk score, within the medium - high risk band, relating 
to the independence of public service media, following the above-mentioned irregularities in 
the selection process, but also lack of fair representation of political actors and viewpoints, 
and political interference in staff changes97.  

High  concentration  continues  to  negatively  impact  media  independence  and  media 
market penetration by high profile business groups with political links remain a serious 
concern. There is high concentration in the audiovisual and print market, as well as insufficient 
legal or self-regulatory safeguards against arbitrary interventions on the editorial line of media 
outlets, exacerbated by political pressures98. High-profile business groups have increased their 
economic penetration in the media market. Their strong links to political interests are a serious 
concern.  Limited  legal  safeguards  exist  against  concentration  of  media  ownership  and 
monopolies  and  there  is  a  lack  of  legal  safeguards  regarding  cross-media  ownership 
concentration99. The high concentration in the Albanian media environment continued to pose 
a  major  concern  to  media  independence  as  also  highlighted  in  MPM  2025,  which  further 
increased its score for market plurality in Albania to very high risk100. There was some limited 
improvement  on  media  ownership  transparency.  In  2024,  AMA  started  publishing  on  its 
website  summarised  information  regarding  ownership  structures  and  beneficial  owners  of 
licenced  audiovisual  media101.  MPM  2025  maintains  its  high-risk  score  for  transparency  of 
media ownership102.  

Shortcomings  in  terms  of  fair  allocation  of  state  advertising  and  other  state  resources 
remain. The provisions on clear and transparent distribution of public sector advertising in line 
with  international  standards  are  still  lacking  and  circumvention  of  the  standard  public 
procurement rules in the advertising procurement procedure has not been addressed103. MPM 

91   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 16; 2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 15. 
92   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 16. 
93    Country visit Albania. 
94    Law 97/2013 on Audiovisual Media, Articles 102 and 104; RTSH Statute, Article 11. 
95   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 28. 
96   Articles 97 and 100 of Law No. 97/2013 on Audiovisual Media. 
97   MPM (2025), Albania, pp. 27-28. 
98   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 18.  
99    2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, pp. 16-17. 
100   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 18.  
101   Audio-Visual Regulatory Authority of Albania (2024). 
102   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 19. 
103   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 16-17. 

12 

 
 
 
2025 highlights the fact that Albanian legislation does not provide fair and transparent rules for 
the  distribution  of  indirect  subsidies  or  state  advertising  to  media  outlets104.  MPM  2025 
therefore has further increased the risk indicator to medium-high risk105. Albania has taken an 
initial  step  towards  a  transparent  audience  measurement  system,  which  is  key  to  ensuring 
accountability in public advertising106.  

Shortcomings persist with respect to the right to access to information. Public authorities 
continue  the  practice  of  withholding  information  based  on  generic  references  to  “public 
interest”, which has  still not  been clearly defined, thus  giving public institutions  significant 
discretion  to  legally  restrict  or  deny  access  to  information,  based  on  large  volume  of 
information requests, copyright issues, and confidentiality clauses on public contracts.  This 
affects  journalists  in  a  disproportionate  manner,  as  they  file  the  majority  of  information 
requests. In 2024, the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Personal Data Protection 
received 365 complaints  from  journalists concerning  the refusal  to  provide information  and 
official documents. Of these, 283 cases were resolved by granting the requested information 
during the administrative review process107. MPM 2025 further increased the risk level related 
to the protection of the right to information to medium - high risk108. Albania has ratified the 
Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents109. 

Verbal  and  physical  attacks,  smear  campaigns  and  strategic  lawsuits  against  public 
participation  (SLAPP)  targeting  journalists  are  a  continued  cause  for  concern. 
Defamation  remains  a  criminal  offence,  and  the  legal  framework  does  not  provide  for 
safeguards  regarding  SLAPPs110.  The  civil  law  provisions  on  fraudulent  or  inaccurate 
publications are still not aligned with European standards and continue to be used to launch 
SLAPPs against journalists111. Journalists have limited access to legal assistance and limited 
support  from  media  outlets.  There  is  still  a  lack  of  systemic  monitoring  and  reporting  on 
judicial cases involving journalists. In 2024, the Safe Journalists Network reported 45 incidents 
of  threats,  pressures  and  attacks  on  journalists  and  media  organisations,  the  majority  being 
verbal attacks, anti-media discourse and online harassment, nearly double the amount recorded 
in 2022 and 2023 respectively. In 2025, 19 incidents were reported112. Cases of intimidation 
and threats against journalists, including by high state officials and police officers,113 as well 
as online harassment and smear campaigns, particularly targeting women journalists, remain a 

104   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 27. 
105   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 27. 
106   Country visit Albania, AMA. In 2024, AMA organised two roundtables with key stakeholders and industry 
actors, who decided to establish the Joint Industry Committee, representing some audiovisual media service 
providers. The body consists of nine members and will be coordinating the actions necessary to implement 
an audience measurement. The entity is pending registration as a non-profit organisation. 

107   Information and Data Protection Commissioner’s Office (2025), written input. The total number in 2024 was 
939 complaints concerning the refusal to provide information and official documents and continued with the 
administrative  review  of  86  cases  carried  over  from  2023.  Out  of  all  cases,  623  cases  were  resolved  by 
granting the requested information during the administrative review process. 

108   MPM (2025), Albania, p. 14. 
109  The Council  of  Europe  Convention  on  Access  to  Official  Documents (CETS  No.  205), also  known  as 

the Tromsø Convention, entered into force on 1 December 2020. 

110   SCiDEV and BIRN Albania (2025), p. 57. Media organisations reported 45 lawsuits registered until October 

2024 as a clear indication of the use of legal mechanisms to pressure and deter journalists. 

111   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 19; Country visit Albania. 
112   Safe Journalists Network (2024, 2025). The 2024 Rule of Law Report noted that “Safe Journalists Network 

has reported 18 cases of attacks against journalists in 2022 and 24 cases in 2023”. 

113   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 19.   

13 

 
 
 
concern114. Contact persons for the safety of journalists have been appointed in the General 
Prosecutor’s Office, the Ministry of Interior and the State Police, and the latter has drafted a 
Protocol115.  The  use  of  force,  including  by  law  enforcement  authorities,  in  particular  in  the 
context of demonstrations, continues to be of concern116. The Council of Europe Platform to 
promote the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists has published five alerts since 
July 2024, relating to threats, a smear campaign and physical attacks targeting journalists and 
the criminal prosecution of journalists117. The Media Freedom Rapid Response project reports 
42 alerts since July 2024, consisting of 8 ‘physical assaults’, 32 ‘verbal attacks’, 1 ‘attack to 
property’, 3 ‘legal incidents’ and 12 ‘interference’118. Limited job security and poor working 
conditions  for  journalists  combined  with  self-censorship,  pressure  from  political  actors  and 
media owners119 continue to pose serious challenges for media. For these reasons, MPM 2025 
further increased the risk indicator in the area to medium to high risk120. A structured dialogue 
between Albanian institutions and media actors was conducted between January-June 2025, 
with  the  aim  of  discussing  key  legislative  and  regulatory  reforms  to  enhance  freedom  of 
expression, including media freedom121.   

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Challenges remain regarding the quality of the legislative process, including effectiveness 
of  public  consultations.  In  practice,  the  implementation  of  public  consultation  rules  and 
safeguards  is  more  procedural  than  genuinely  effective122.  Shortcomings  identified  in  last 
year’s Rule of Law Report persist, including the lack of timely publication for stakeholders, 
limited follow up to consultations and the frequent use by the Government of normative acts 
having the force of law for amending the state budget123. Furthermore, in several cases draft 
laws proposed by Members of Parliament have been substantially amended to take into account 
the  opinion  of  ministries  without  consulting  non-government  stakeholders124.  This  practice 
negatively impacts the quality and transparency of the legislative process.  

Shortcomings  exist  regarding  the  work,  methodology  and  impact  of  the  ad  hoc 
parliamentary  committee  on  deepening  reforms  for  good  governance,  rule  of  law  and 
anti-corruption.  The  committee  was  established  in  May  2024,  without  a  cross-party 
consensus, aiming amongst others to review legislation, institutional architecture and policies 

114   Notably cases of online harassment and smear campaigns, and cases particularly targeting women journalists; 

SCiDEV and BIRN Albania (2025). 

115   The State Police has drafted and carried out public consultations on the Protocol for Protection of Journalists 
and Handling Cases of Attacks, specifically addressing the safety issues of women journalists. In November 
2024, the General Prosecutor issued a circular on priority investigation of cases of attacks against journalists 
and increased engagement with journalists to improve safety measures. 

116   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 19. 
117   Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists – Albania. As 
regards the case of criminal prosecution, on 14 August 2024, the State Police announced criminal prosecution 
against journalists over reports on the Pogradec police.  

118   European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Media Freedom Rapid Response – Albania. 
119   Country visit Albania, civil society organisations from media sector; SCiDEV and BIRN Albania (2025), pp. 
81-83.  According  to  civil  society  organisations  surveys,  working  conditions  and  safety  of  journalists  in 
Albania have deteriorated over the past year. 

120   MPM (2025), Albania, pp. 12-13. 
121   Albanian Government (2025a), p. 41. 
122   SIGMA  (2024),  p.  22.  SIGMA  noted  positively  that  the  numbers  of  legal  acts  consulted  and  number  of 

participants in the consultation increased, but a number of shortcomings remain. 

123   Country visit Albania, civil society organisations; 2024 Rule of law Report, Albania, pp. 20-21.  
124   Albanian Parliament (2025). There were 14 initiatives proposed by MPs that were examined and consulted 

by the Parliamentary Committees in charge.  

14 

 
 
 
in three areas (anti-corruption, good governance, and the rule of law – which includes a justice 
pillar). The aim is for this committee to develop an analytical document and a National Action 
Plan,  including  proposed  measures  within  the  remit  of  the  committee.  While  a  number  of 
institutions  participated  in  the  process,  most  justice  institutions  decided  to  engage  with  the 
committee only formally, in writing, citing concerns about the process and constitutional issues 
such  as  their  independence  and  established  reporting  obligations  to  the  Parliament. 
Shortcomings  exist  concerning  the  work,  transparency,  inclusiveness,  as  well  as  the 
Committee’s  methodology.  At  the  same  time,  close  attention  must  be  paid  to  a  potential 
duplication  of  work  already  conducted  in  the  context  of  accession  negotiations125.  It  is 
important that the work of the ad hoc committee is inclusive, transparent and consistent with 
the  positive  results  of  the  2016  justice  reform,  guaranteeing  the  independence  of  justice 
institutions.   

Political  polarisation  continued  to  impact  the  parliamentary  work.  During  the  2024 
autumn session, clashes between the ruling majority and a part of the opposition continued in 
Parliament, causing disruptions to its work. During the same period, the opposition party called 
for  several  protests  and  ‘civil  disobedience  measures’  which  at  times  turned  violent126.  In 
October 2024, following a request by the majority, the Parliament’s Ethics Secretariat decided 
to suspend 23 opposition members of Parliament, for allegedly committing violent acts during 
the plenary session127. This led to further disruptions, including frictions between opposition 
Members  of  Parliament  and  the  Republican  Guard,  after  guards  prevented  some  opposition 
Members of Parliament, who had been sanctioned, from entering Parliament128.  

The Constitutional Court continued to function effectively, while Parliament’s ongoing 
failure to comply with some of its rulings and the legal uncertainty over the duration of 
its  members’  mandates  are  a  concern.  The  Court  continued  to  function  effectively  and 
resolved its backlog129. During the reporting period, Parliament implemented the ruling of the 
Court  regarding  the  right  of  citizens  residing  abroad  to  take  part  in  elections130.  However, 
Parliament  failed  to  implement  the  remaining  rulings  of  the  Constitutional  Court131.  In  an 
opinion  on  the  matter,  the  Venice  Commission  called  upon  Parliament  to  respect  and 
implement the Court’s decisions and confirmed that the decisions of the Constitutional Court 
are  compulsory  for  all  state  bodies,  including  the  Parliament132.  The  implementation  of  the 
Constitutional  Court  decision  that  declared  some  amendments  to  the  Law  on  Inquiry 
Committees unconstitutional is still pending133. Parliament had six months to implement the 

125   Country visit Albania: as also reported by stakeholders.  
126   A2news.com (2024).  
127   The Administrative Court subsequently reduced the 60-day suspensions for 3 Democratic Party MPs to 10 
days, and the 40-day suspensions for 20 other opposition MPs to 5 days. In compliance with this decision, 
the MPs returned to Parliament on 7 November.  

128   Shqiptarja.com (2024).  
129   Constitutional Court (2025). 
130   Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania (2022a). 
131   Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2022b,c,d).  Constitutional  Court  rulings  with  effect  on 
legislation not yet implemented by Parliament include those on the disposition of the Civil Procedure Code, 
on mandatory insurance in public transport, on the criminal code provisions adopted during the pandemic, 
and two rulings requesting Parliament to refer to it a case regarding the incompatibility of a  mandate of a 
member of Parliament due to alleged conflict of interest (Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania 
(2023a,b).  

132   Venice Commission (2024), para. 57.  
133   On 9 July 2024, the Constitutional Court found some of the amendments to the Law on Inquiry Committees 
unconstitutional, as they infringe on the right of a parliamentary minority to establish committees of inquiry 
and fail to guarantee the effective oversight of the parliamentary work by the minority groups. 

15 

 
 
 
ruling, and while discussions have started in Parliament, the deadline was not met134, although 
Albania stated its commitment to enact the legal changes needed135. In December 2024, the 
Constitutional Court issued a decision on the end of mandate of one of its judges, who is at the 
same time the President of the Court, confirming its exclusive competence to adjudicate such 
cases136. Legal uncertainty remains regarding the end of the mandate of two members of the 
Constitutional  Court,  due  to  diverging  interpretations  of  the  applicable  provisions  by 
Parliament and the High Court. For one of the cases, the President of the Republic, in his role 
as appointing authority made a formal request to the Constitutional Court to provide clarity on 
how to reconcile two constitutional principles regarding the calculation of mandates. 

On 1 January 2025, Albania had 25 leading judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights pending implementation, an increase of 1 compared to the previous year137. On 1 
January  2025,  Albania’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had  been 
implemented was at 25% (compared to 4% in 2024, 75% remained pending), and the average 
time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 4 years and 3 months (compared 
to 3 years and 11 months in 2024)138. The oldest leading judgment, pending implementation 
for  11  years,  concerns  the  failure  to  implement  domestic  decisions  by  the  public 
administration139. As regards the respect of payment deadlines, on 31 December 2024 there 
were 17 cases in total awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 22 in 2023)140. On 16 
June 2025, the number of leading judgments pending implementation had increased to 28141.  

The mandates of the Ombudsperson and the Commissioner against Discrimination still 
need  to  be  renewed,  and  some  obstacles  to  their  effective  working  remain.  The 
Commissioner against Discrimination and the Ombudsperson continued to enjoy a stable level 
of public trust and awareness about their competences. However, the fact that Parliament failed 
to appoint the Ombudsperson and the Commissioner against Discrimination, whose mandates 
expired  in  2022  and  2023,  respectively,  risks  to  seriously  weaken  the  legitimacy  of  these 
independent institutions142. To guarantee that its annual report is published before Parliament 
has debated on it, the Ombudsperson drafted legal amendments that are currently under public 
consultation143.  The  largest  number  of  complaints  received  by  the  Ombudsperson  in  2024 
concerned  the  limitation  of  personal  freedom  (295  complaints,  16%  overall)144.  The 
implementation  rate  of  the  recommendations  issued  by  the  Ombudsperson  remains  overall 

134   Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania (2024a). The 2024 Rule of Law Report provides an overview 

of the legal amendments to the Law on Inquiry Committees, p. 21. 

135   Albanian Government (2025a). Albania explained that with regard to the implementation of Decision no. 
54/2024 of the Constitutional Court, the Assembly has the intention to draft a new legal initiative “On some 
additions and amendments to Law no. 8891, dated 02.05.2002, ‘On the organization and functioning of the 
investigative committees of the Assembly’, as amended, however progress was affected by the conduct of 
general parliamentary elections. 

136   Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania (2024).  
137   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
138   All figures calculated by the European Implementation Network (EIN) and based on the number of cases that 

are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 1. 

139   Judgment of the ECtHR, 40430/08, Memishaj v. Albania, pending implementation since 2014.  
140   Council of Europe (2025), p. 156.   
141   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
142   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 23. 
143   Country visit Albania; Justice Freedom and Security Subcommittee, Ombudsperson. 
144   Country visit Albania, Ombudsperson. Respectively followed by the Property rights (214 cases / 12%), the 

Judicial and Prosecutorial Procedure (213 cases / 12%) and Children's rights (212 cases / 12%).  

16 

 
 
 
low145. Both institutions continued to report shortcomings in human resources that have not 
been addressed by Parliament146.  

Less than half of the companies surveyed in Albania express high levels of confidence in 
the effectiveness of investment protection. 40% of companies are very or fairly confident 
that investments  are protected by law and courts147. The main reason among companies for 
their lack of confidence is the difficulty to obtain a fair compensation or to protect property 
when  something  goes  wrong148.  26%  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public 
procurement  review  body  (Public  Procurement  Committee)  as  very  or  fairly  good149.  38% 
perceive the level of independence of the national competition authority (Albanian Competition 
Authority) as very or fairly good150.  

Civil  society  organisations  remain  overall  free  to  operate,  but  challenges  remain, 
including on registration requirements and limited public funding. The civic space remains 
“narrowed” due to  concerns about  the state of press  freedom  and restrictions  to  the right to 
peaceful assembly151. In early 2025, civil society have denounced an unprecedented campaign 
of disinformation, defamation, and politically driven public attacks against civil society in the 
country152. The main governmental strategic document to support civil society expired in 2023 
while  the  preparation  of  a  new  strategic  framework  is  still  pending.  Previously  reported 
challenges linked to registration procedures, particularly the non-operation of the Electronic 
Register of Non-Profit Organisations, access to funding, conducive tax environment and the 
functioning of the National Council for Civil Society (NCCS) persist153. New instructions on 
VAT exemption aim to address the main concerns, but effective implementation remains to be 
demonstrated154. Criticism of the law on volunteerism continues, particularly due to its limited 
ability  to  support  participation  in  voluntary  activities155,  while  a  new  draft  law  is  being 
prepared156.  

145   The overall implementation rate was 21% in 2024, according to the Ombudsperson.  
146   Country visit Albania, Ombudsperson; Commissioner against discrimination. 
147   Flash Eurobarometer 555 (2025). 
148   Flash Eurobarometer 555 (2025). 15% and 29% of the surveyed investors respectively perceive the frequent 
changes  in  legislation  or  concerns  about  quality  of  law-making  process  and  the  quality,  efficiency  or 
independence of justice as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment protection. 

149   Flash Eurobarometer 555 (2025). 
150   Flash Eurobarometer 555 (2025). 
151   CIVICUS (2025). Rating given on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed 

and closed. 

152   Resourcecentre.al (2025).  
153   2024 Rule of Law Report, Albania, p. 24. The NCCS has so far failed to deliver on its broad mandate and its 
internal organisation does not allow it to exercise its prerogatives. In 2023, Albania indicated plans to review 
the legal framework in 2024 with a view to changing provisions related to its composition and functioning, 
but no clear results have been reported so far. According to the Government, some activities by the NCCS 
took place during 2024, for example meetings and consultations with civil society representatives. 

154   Minister of Finance (2025).  
155   Country visit Albania, civil society organisations. 
156   Country visit Albania. See also: European Movement Albania (2024).  

17 

 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
found 
can 
stakeholder-consultation_en.  

be 

at 

A2news.com (2024), Opposition protest, State Police: 10 officers injured (Protesta e opozitës, Policia 
e Shtetit: Janë dëmtuar 10 efektivë), https://a2news.com/shqiperia/kronike/protesta-e-opozites-policia-
e-shtetit-jane-demtuar-10-efektive-i1129756.  

Agency for Managing Seized and Confiscated Assets (2025). written contribution for the 2025 Rule of 
Law Report. 

Albanian  Government  (2024a),  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  2024-2030  (Strategjisë    Ndërsektoriale  
kundër    Korrupsionit  2024–2030),  https://www.qbz.gov.al/eli/fz/2024/225/9f19ef0c-97b3-43c9-aa8f-
e2181147b789. 

Albanian  Government  (2024b),  Decision  No.  787  on  the  approval  of  the  Justice  Strategy  (Vendim-
nr.787,  date  18.12.2024  Per  miratimin  e  Strategjise  Ndersektoriale  te  Drejtesise  2024-2030), 
https://www.drejtesia.gov.al/baza-ligjore-3/.  

Albanian Government (2025a), additional written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Albanian Government (2025b), Analysis from February 2025 of the 2024 performance of the free legal 
(Analiza  e  Performancës  Vjetore  2024), 
aid  directorate  at 
https://ndihmajuridike.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Analiza-e-Performanc%C3%ABs-Vjetore-
2024.pdf.  

the  Ministry  of 

Justice 

Albanian Government (2025c), written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Albanian Government (2025d), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Albanian Parliament (2025e), Report on public and civil society participation in the decision-making 
processes of the Parliament for 2024 (Raport “Për Pjesëmarrjen e Publikut dhe të Shoqërisë Civile në 
Procesin Vendimmarrës të Kuvendit për Vitin 2024”), https://konsultimipublik.al/konsultime/1.  

Albanian Government (2025f), written input, Justice Freedom and Security Sub-committee, Annex 4. 

Albaniantimes.al  (2024),  Former  Environment  Minister  sent  to  prison  for  role  in  incinerator  affair, 
https://albaniantimes.al/lefter-koka-sentenced-elbasan-case/. 

Albaniantimes.al  (2025),  SPAK  implements  strategy  to  investigate  and  prevent  electoral  crimes  in 
2025,  https://albaniantimes.al/spak-implements-strategy-to-investigate-and-prevent-electoral-crimes-
in-2025/.  

Audio-Visual  Regulatory Authority  (2024),  Decision  No.  40  of  25  April  2024  on  requirements  and 
procedures for reviewing changes regarding the ownership structure and the transparency of ownership-
related data, https://ama.gov.al//baza-e-te-dhenave-struktura-pronesore-e-oshma.   

Balkanweb.com (2025),  No operation of SPAK, police are effective and police are not trafficked and 
drugs, nor are they subject to disiplinor (Pas operacionit të SPAK, policia pezullon 3 efektivët e policisë 
të  përfshirë  në  trafikun  e  drogës,  nis  dhe  hetim  disiplinor),  https://www.balkanweb.com/pas-
operacionit-te-spak-policia-pezullon-3-efektivet-e-policise-te-perfshire-ne-trafikun-e-droges-nis-dhe-
hetim-disiplinor/#gsc.tab=0  

18 

 
 
Centre for Media Pluralism and Freedom (2025), Media Pluralism Monitor, Country report for Albania. 

(2024), 

CEPEJ 
https://www.coe.int/en/web/cepej/towards-a-better-evaluation-of-the-results-of-judicial-reforms-in-
the-western-balkans-dashboard-western-balkans-.  

Dashboard  Western 

Balkans 

2023 

Data 

– 

Collection, 

CIVICUS (2025), Albania, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/albania/.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2022a),  Decision  V-38/22  of  9  December  2022, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/web/Vendime_perfundimtare_100_1.php.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2022b),  Decision  V-30/22  of  2  November  2022, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/web/Vendime_perfundimtare_100_1.php.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2022c),  Decision  V-37/22  of  1  December  2022, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/web/Vendime_perfundimtare_100_1.php.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2022d),  Decision  V-39/22  of  15  December  2022, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/web/Vendime_perfundimtare_100_1.php.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2023a),  Decision  V-1/23  of  23  January  2023, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/include_php/previewdoc.php?id_kerkesa_vendimi=3633&nr_vendim=1.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2023b),  Decision  V-2/23  of  23  January  2023, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/include_php/previewdoc.php?id_kerkesa_vendimi=3634&nr_vendim=1.  

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2024),  Decision  V-84/24  of  23  December  2024, 
https://www.gjk.gov.al/include_php/previewdoc.php?id_kerkesa_vendimi=4533&nr_vendim=1. 

Constitutional  Court  of  the  Republic  of  Albania  (2024a),  Press  release  of  9  July  2024,  
https://www.gjk.gov.al/web/NJOFTIM_VENDIMMARRJEJE_3430_1-94.php. Reference 2 

Constitutional  Court  of 
https://www.gjykatakushtetuese.gov.al/wp-
content/uploads/2025/02/AnnualReport2024_ConstitutionalCourt.pdf.  

the  Republic 

of  Albania 

(2025),  Annual  Report  2024, 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025), Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments  and 
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, 18th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers, 
https://rm.coe.int/gbr-2001-18e-rapport-annuel-2024/1680b4d77d.Council of Europe (2025), Baseline 
Evaluation Report on the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on access to official 
documents, https://rm.coe.int/baseline-evaluation-report-albania/1680b4ad1a.  

Council of Europe (2025), Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists – 
Albania, https://fom.coe.int/en/pays/detail/11709474.  

Council  of  Europe:  Venice  Commission  (2024),  Opinion  on  the  implementation  by  Parliament  of 
Constitutional Court decisions (CDL-AD(2024)040).  

Council of Ministers (2024), Decision No. 436 of 26 June 2024. 

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, Media Freedom Rapid Response – Albania. Minister 
of Finance (2025), Instruction No. 6 of 24 February 2025, modifying Instruction No. 6 of 30 January 
2015 “On the Value Added Tax in the republic of Albania”.  

European Commission (2023), 2023 Screening report Albania, Cluster 1 – Fundamentals. 

19 

 
 
European Commission (2024), 2024 Communication on EU Enlargement policy, Albania Report. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Albania. 

European Implementation Network (EIN) (2025), written input for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European Movement Albania (2024), Working Group for Chapter 23 – The Law on Volunteering in 
Albania:  A  priority  for  the  development  of  an  enabling  environment  for  civil  society,  https://em-
al.org/en/working-group-for-chapter-23-the-law-on-volunteering-in-albania-a-priority-for-the-
development-of-an-enabling-environment-for-civil-society-09-july-2024/. 

GRECO (2025), Second Compliance Report by GRECO for the 5th evaluation round on Albania.  

HIDAACI (2025), written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

High Judicial Council (2025a), Annual Report of 23 April 2025 on the State of the Judicial System and 
the  Activities  of  the  High  Judicial  Council  [in  2024]  (Vendim  Nr.  232,  Datë  23.04.2025  për 
Miratimin e “Raport mbi Gjendjen e Sistemit Gjyqësor dhe Veprimtarinë e Këshillit të Lartë 
Gjyqësor  për  Vitin  2024”),  https://klgj.al/media/5thpqzn0/vendim-nr-232-dat%C3%AB-23-04-
2025.pdf.   

High Judicial Council (2025b), Statement of 12 February 2025 (Deklaratë për shtyp, datë 12.02.2025), 
https://klgj.al/njoftimepershtyp/deklarate-per-shtyp-date-12-02-2025/. 

High Justice Inspector (2025), Report of 30 May 2025 on the work of the Office of the High Inspector 
of  Justice  for  the  period  01.01.2024  –  31.12.2024,  https://ild.al/en/2025/05/30/for-the-work-of-the-
office-of-the-high-inspector-of-justice-for-the-period-01-01-2024-31-12-2024/. 

International Monitoring Operation (2025), written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), Albania report. 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2024), Convention on Combating Bribery 
of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions, Ratification Status as of August 2024 
https://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/WGBRatificationStatus.pdf.  

Panorama.com.al (2025), Statements against SPAK, HPC reacts: The independence and professional 
integrity  of  prosecutors  must  be  respected  (Deklaratat  ndaj  SPAK,  reagon  KLP:  Të  respektohet 
pavarësia  dhe  integriteti  profesional  i  prokurorëve),    https://www.panorama.com.al/deklaratat-ndaj-
spak-reagon-klp-te-respektohet-pavaresia-dhe-integriteti-profesional-i-prokuroreve/.   

Advocate 

People’s 
https://avokatipopullit.gov.al/media/manager/website/reports/FINAL-
RAPORTI%20VJETOR%202023%20Anglisht%20-June%2028.pdf  

Albania 

(2023), 

of 

Annual 

Report 

2023, 

Reporter.al  (2025),  Institutions  do  not  denounce  corruption  and  organized  crime  (Institucionet  nuk 
denoncojnë korrupsionin dhe krimin e organizuar), https://www.reporter.al/2025/02/06/institucionet-
nuk-denoncojne-korrupsionin-dhe-krimin-e-organizuar/.  

Resourcecentre.al 
https://resourcecentre.al/2025/03/04/public-call-to-eu-institutions-and-member-states. 

(2025),  Public  Call 

Institutions 

to  EU 

and  Member 

States, 

Safe Journalists Network (2024, 2025), Incidents database, (regional centre: Tirana, year: 2024, 2025),  
https://safejournalists.net/incidents/?lang=en&keyword=&country=&gender=&type_of_incident=&in

20 

 
 
cident_means=&incident_year=&who_was_attacked=&were_authorities_informed=&by_whom=&p
erpetrator=&judiciary_status=&type_of_violation=&ja_reaction=&ja_was_informed=&page=1. 

Journalists 

Safe 
database, 
https://safejournalists.net/incidents/?lang=en&keyword=&country=&gender=&type_of_incident=&in
cident_means=&incident_year=&who_was_attacked=&were_authorities_informed=&by_whom=&p
erpetrator=&judiciary_status=&type_of_violation=&ja_reaction=&ja_was_informed=&page=1.  

Incidents 

Network 

(2025), 

SCiDEV and BIRN Albania (February 2025), Annual Report Tracking Albania’s Progress on Media 
Freedom towards EU Standards, https://scidevcenter.org/2025/02/24/annual-report-tracking-albanias-
progress-on-media-freedom-towards-eu-standards/.  

Shqiptarja.com (2024), The DP repeats the scenario: Clashes and flames in the Parliament (PD përsërit 
skenarin, Përplasje e flakë në Kuvend), https://shqiptarja.com/lajm/kuvendi-sot-seance-plenare-pd-me-
24-deputete-te-perjashtuar-dje-paralajmeroi-bllokim-bardhi-sdo-lejojme-normalitet?r=kh1.  

(2024), 

2024, 
SIGMA 
https://www.sigmaweb.org/en/publications/public-administration-in-albania-2024_5577d117-
en.html.   

administration 

Albania 

Public 

in 

SPAK (2025a), Letter to Minister of the Interior of 14 February 2025. 

SPAK (2025b), written contribution for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Audit 

State 
Report, 
(2025)*, 
https://parlament.al/dokumentacioni/aktet/45a2144d-7c36-41b2-86e8-7bab492600c1  (*  as  of  June 
2024, the Report remains to be formally approved by Parliament). 

Institution 

Activity 

2024 

State Police of the Republic of Albania (2024), Order 1399 of 21 October 2024. 

Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024.  

21 

 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Albania 

The Commission services held virtual and hybrid meetings in February 2025 with: 

•  Albanian Association of Journalists 
•  Albanian Disability Rights Foundation 
•  Albanian Helsinki Committee 
•  Albanian Legal and Territorial Research Institute (ALTRI Centre) 
•  Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) 
•  Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) Albania 
•  Center for the Study of Democracy and Governance (CSDG) 
•  Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV) 
•  Centre for European Development and Integration  
•  Constitutional Court 
•  CSSP – Berlin Center for Integrative Mediation 
•  European Movement in Albania (EMA)  
•  Gender Alliance for Development Centre 
•  General Prosecutor’s Office 
•  High  Inspectorate  of  Declaration  and  Audit  of  Assets  and  Conflicts  of  Interest 

(HIDAACI) 

Institute for Democracy and Mediation (IDM Albania) 
Institute of Policy and Legal Studies (IPLS) 

•  High Judicial Council 
•  High Justice Inspector (HJI)  
•  High Prosecutorial Council  
• 
• 
•  Media and Information Agency 
•  Ministry of Justice 
•  Ministry of State for Public Administration and Anti-Corruption 
•  National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 
•  Office of State Minister and Chief Negotiator for Media Dialogue 
•  Ombudsperson/People’s Advocate 
•  Partners Albania for Change and Development 
•  SafeJournalists Network Albania 
•  School of Magistrates  
•  Special Prosecution Office (SPO) 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings: 

•  Amnesty International 
•  Araminta 
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  European Civic Forum 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  European Youth Forum, 

22 

 
 
 
International Commission of Jurists 
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) 

• 
• 
•  JEF Europe 
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association. 
•  Transparency International  

23