“Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfillment of the closing benchmarks and [we] expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay,” a European Commission spokesperson told POLITICO in response to a question about the controversial proposed development.
“In the EU accession process, as part of the closing benchmarks for negotiating Chapter 27 on environment and climate change, Albania is expected to align fully with EU legislation in this area, including the Birds and the Habitats Directives,” said the spokesperson, urging that Albania repeal the changes to the Law on Protected Areas and “terminate” the law on strategic investments. As part of the process of joining the EU, Albania is expected to align with the EU’s environmental rules.
The spokesperson also told POLITICO that Albania’s environment minister, Sofjan Jaupaj, had informed the Commission in Brussels that construction on the project has been suspended and an environmental impact assessment will be carried out with civil society.
“We have already expressed our concerns to the minister of the environment about the potential shortcomings of this project,” the spokesperson said.
Jaupaj did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Dubbed the “Flamingo Revolution” after the flamingos that reside in the protected area, the protests intensified over the weekend, with calls growing for Prime Minister Edi Rama to resign. Albania’s anti-corruption prosecutor, SPAK, has also opened an investigation into controversial changes in the area’s protected status and land ownership in 2024.