Albania

Legal policy starting point

The reform of the legal and economic systems has been a top priority for Albania since the Stabilisation and Association Agreement came into effect on 1 April 2009 and Albania submitted its application for EU membership a few days later. However, also in the view of the EU, there is still considerable need for action and reform in many areas. This also applies to the Albanian justice and administration.

Cooperation to date

The IRZ Foundation has been operating in Albania since the spring of 2000 within the framework of the German contribution to the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. Since then, it has been carrying out events and consultation on the organisation of the judiciary, on the legislation and on the basic and further training of lawyers in various fields of law. From 2004 to mid-2010 the IRZ Foundation was in particular involved in the EU-funded project EURALIUS and the successor project EURALIUS II. It has further intensified the cooperation already established with the Constitutional Court, the District Courts, the Magistrate’s School and the Chamber of Notaries since 2010.

Major partners

Constitutional Court and Magistrate’s School

Strategy and method

Whereas within the EURALIUS II project, the IRZ Foundation concentrated on the legislative area, the bilateral activities will encompass further fields after the termination of this project. The IRZ Foundation will place the bilateral focus on basic and further training and will intensify the cooperation already established with the Constitutional Court, the Magistrate’s School and the Chamber of Notaries (with the involvement of the German Association of Notaries).

Foci of activity in 2011

Third party-funded projects

• Junior partner in the World Bank financed project entitled “Business Environment Regulatory Impact and Institutional Strengthening” (BERIS), which has been running since the beginning of 2009 and particularly provides for legislation consultation in the field of commercial law

Bilateral projects

In cooperation with the Constitutional Court

• Seminar entitled “Overview of the European Union Law” in Tirana
• Participation of two Albanian experts in the XIII. International Congress for European and Comparative Constitutional Law of the University of Regensburg on the topic of “The Development of Fundamental Rights in the Jurisprudence of the Constitutional Courts“
• Support for the Albanian Constitutional Court with German literature in the areas of public law and constitutional law

In cooperation with the Magistrate’s School

• Participation of two representatives of the Magistrate’s School in the regional conference of the Judicial Academies of South Eastern European countries on the topic of “The Future of the Initial and Continuous Training of Judges and Public Prosecutors“ in Skopje
• Workshop on the topic of “Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms” in Tirana
• Continuation of the series of lectures on the EU law with a seminar in Durres
• Study trip of eight representatives of the Magistrate’s School to Rhineland-Palatinate with expert talks in the Ministry of Justice in Mainz, at the European Law Academy and the German Judicial Academy in Trier
• Support to the publication of the quarterly issued magazine of the Magistrate’s School

Outlook

Against the background of Albania’s official application to join the EU in April 2009, the IRZ Foundation is intensifying the cooperation with its Albanian partners in the judiciary in the bilateral area. Efforts will be made towards stepping up cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecutor General. In addition, the IRZ Foundation intends to intensify the cooperation with the Constitutional Court and the Magistrate’s School. There have already been specific requests for seminars and workshops from both institutions, so that we can continue seamlessly from the previous year’s activities. Since Albania is also interesting for other donors, the IRZ Foundation will keep an eye on their activities and will organise joint events with other donors where appropriate.