FLASH NEWS
Amendment revealed/ EP calls for ban on construction within protected areas in Albania
2026-06-17 22:31:39 / POLITIKË
The European Parliament has returned attention to one of the main issues raised during the protests taking place in Tirana, the protection of protected areas in Albania, with a particular focus on the Vjosa-Narta protected area, of which Zvërnec is also part.
Through an amendment adopted today, the European Parliament calls on the Albanian authorities to immediately impose a moratorium on new permit procedures, construction works and development interventions in protected areas, until the contested provisions of the Law on Protected Areas are repealed and full compliance with European Union standards for nature protection is guaranteed.
The amendment, proposed by the Green Group, also requires that any projects in these areas be subject to full environmental impact assessments and transparent public consultation processes with local communities, experts and civil society.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament rejected another amendment that directly mentioned American businessman Jared Kushner and the company Affinity Partners in connection with the development of a tourism project on the island of Sazan and in the Vjosa-Narta protected area. The rejected amendment also included a call for support for investigations launched by SPAK regarding this project.
46a. Expresses serious concern that ongoing developments within the Vjosa-Narta protected area demonstrate the practical consequences of recent legal changes and the risks they pose for areas of recognised ecological value; follows closely the ongoing peaceful protests in this regard; calls on the Albanian authorities to immediately impose a moratorium on all new permit procedures , construction works and development interventions within protected areas, until the incompatible provisions of the amended law on Protected Areas have been repealed, based on a long-standing request by the European Commission and the European Parliament and in line with the final standards of Chapter 27, and until full compliance with European Union standards for nature protection is ensured; stresses that any project in this area should be subject to comprehensive environmental impact assessments, fully in line with EU standards, including a transparent process of public participation with local communities, scientists and civil society.
Expresses concerns, therefore, regarding the government's agreement with Jared Kushner and the company Affinity Partners for the development of a luxury resort project on the island of Sazan and in the Vjosa-Nartë protected area; calls for support for the anti-corruption investigation currently being conducted by SPAK in this context; demands that the right to protest peacefully be guaranteed and protected from repression or obstruction by private security companies, as occurred during the clashes that occurred at the end of May 2026. /Monitor
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