PRESS REACTION
Commissioner Kos statement on Albania
As Albanians enter the seventeenth day of protests in Tirana following illegal developments that have damaged parts of the Vjosa Narta Protected Landscape, Commissioner Kos left a very concerning statement. During a press conference held on the 15th of June, the Commissioner affirmed that the European Commission had “received assurance from the Government of Albania that a full environmental impact assessment will be carried out and that European environmental standards will be respected”.
During its first public statement since the illegal developments happened, the Commission failed to address many important facts. The illegality of the developments, the environmental damage they have caused, the Albanian government’s obligation to remedy these violations and comply with EU law and its commitments under the EU accession process, were completely ignored.
This statement is unacceptable. It supports misleading arguments and mere assurances from the Albanian government, while overlooking unlawful developments that have already occurred within Vjosa Narta without the necessary permits, safeguards or transparency. These actions have caused significant ecological damage and sparked weeks of public protest. By focusing on future commitments to undertake an environmental impact assessment, rather than on the legality of the works already carried out, the Commission is de facto giving a green light for the project to continue despite apparent breaches of EU environmental law.
The Commission must urgently condemn the illegal developments that have already taken place and call on the Albanian government to impose an immediate moratorium on all activities, works and projects until the 2024 amendments to the Protected Areas Law are repealed. It should also reaffirm that compliance with EU environmental law, including the Birds and Habitats Directives, are a core part of the legal requirements that Albania must uphold as part of the accession process, and requires much more than the completion of an environmental impact assessment. Any developments that are going against these legal requirements, during the process of accession, are going against the principle of legality.
“It is shocking to see the European Commission take its own laws so lightly. EU accession is not built on promises and public relations, but on compliance with the rule of law. if the Commission cannot see the destruction taking place in Vjosa Narta, it should at least hear the voice of the hundreds of thousands of Albanians calling for it to stop. This is not only about protecting nature. It is about the credibility of the European Union. EU laws must be upheld in action.” Says Anouk Puymartin, Head of Policy at BirdLife Europe and Central Asia.
Written by Honey Kohan, Head of Communications, BirdLife Europe and Central Asia
