We, civil society organizations and experts in the field of nature conservation are introduced to the draft law “On some additions and changes to the law no. 81/2017 “On Protected Areas”. Following a thorough review of the draft law’s presentation in the Commission of Production Activities, Trade, and Environment, along with the perspectives presented by participants in this commission, we express our stance as follows:
This draft law is in contradiction with the purpose of the law on Protected Areas. If the proposed amendments are approved, it paves the way for the National Territorial Council (KKT) to decide whether to approve the construction of the intensive infrastructure that is related to the extractive industries, such as Hydropower Plants (HPPs), hydrocarbon extraction, urban construction inside the Protected Areas. Such constructions would negatively impact natural ecosystems and violate the fundamental principles of Protected Areas law, which states that these areas are sites where wildlife and natural ecosystems must be precisely protected from the aforementioned investments.
Following that, the draft law proposed that the respective municipalities manage at least 20% of the Protected Area’s territory. However, it does not provide the necessary clarifications on how this area will be designated, mapped, and managed, leaving open the possibility of the respective municipality managing up to 100% of the area that is protected. The transfer of management powers depending on the interest of each municipality, harms the national interest that exists in the preservation of these areas preserved precisely for the values and features they embody on both a national and international scale.
The draft law proposes the removal of zoning or the non-definition of sub-zones with different management regimes within the entire surface of a protected area. This amendment openly violates the recommendations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) which are included in the current law on Protected Areas. De-zoning makes it impossible to implement management plans and conserve critically endangered species. In the meanwhile, it establishes the basis for the local community’s exclusion from Protected Area use and decision-making.
If this draft law is approved, it jeopardizes decades of investment and work dedicated to consolidating and responsibly managing Protected Areas in the country. This long-standing effort has received significant support from various donors and stakeholders, with notable contributions from the European Union, the Albanian government, and Civil society.
We, the undersigned group of environmental civil society organizations, strongly oppose this draft law and ask the Albanian Parliament not to approve it. The current Protected Areas Law and the current legal instruments for managing Protected Areas are adequate to guarantee the management and conservation of Protected Areas, which is necessary for improved enforcement of Protected Areas. Any potential proposal to amend this law should only be made following a thorough evaluation of the current law’s applicability and the identification of the real needs for change, always maintaining the fundamental principles and functionality of the Protected Areas, and following an extensive and inclusive consultation process with national conservation experts and stakeholders.
Organizations:
- Build Green Group
- Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania, IUCN Member
- Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA), BirdLife Albania, IUCN Member
- ILIRIA NGO
- Birds of Albania
- UJA Center
- Well Point Organization
- United Nations Association Albania
- WWF Adria, Office in Albania
Experts:
- Doriana Musai
- Ani Bajrami
- Enerit Sacdanaku
