The European Commission has put intense protests in Albania under scrutiny, concerning the construction of a luxury real estate complex. This specific project is directly linked to Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, raising serious questions about whether European Union environmental legislation is being observed and consequently whether Tirana’s EU accession path is under threat.
Commission warning to Albania: Environmental milestone risk for EU accession due to tourist resort
Responding to a related question, Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier clarified that Brussels is monitoring developments in the protected Vjosa-Narta area very carefully. As he emphasized, the Commission has already conveyed its reservations to the Albanian Environment Minister, who in turn committed that construction work has been frozen. In parallel, a comprehensive environmental impact study is expected to be conducted, in open dialogue with civil society.
He added that the concerns are not new and that there has been communication with the relevant minister. “We have already spoken with the relevant minister. But let me emphasize that the concerns are not new. They have already been mentioned in the enlargement report, where the repeated extension of the Strategic Investments Law continued to cause concerns about potential environmental impacts, especially in protected areas.”
Regarding the country’s EU accession process and whether it is affected, the Commission spokesperson emphasized that as part of closing the benchmark for chapter 27 on environment and climate change, Albania is expected to align fully with EU legislation in this area. It must also terminate the 2015 strategic investments legislation. Additionally, to complete chapter 27 on environment, Albania must demonstrate its capacity to manage future Natura 2000 areas. “Albania should avoid actions that could undermine the fulfillment of closing the benchmark. We expect Albanian authorities to act without delay. It is therefore on our radar and we are in contact with Albanian authorities on this issue,” he noted.
