The Ministry of Environment plans to submit to the Parliament the proposal for the repeal of the incompatible provisions of the law “On Protected Areas” only at the end of 2027, a period which also marks the closure of the negotiations; that is, at the end of the period. The repeal of the provisions, along with eight other issues related to environmental policy standards and specifications, was requested by the European Commission in September 2025. Known as closing points (Closing Benchmarks), they must be met before the country joins the EU. December 2027 is the deadline, when the “Green Package” will be annexed to the Accession Treaty.
The Ministry presented the plan for meeting the milestones on February 17, identifying them with the environmental draft acts that will be reviewed in the Assembly throughout 2026. During the presentation before experts and interest groups, at the so-called “Table 27”, it was noted that the repeal of the provisions in question it was planned in the fourth quarter of 2027. During the meeting, no opportunity was given to review the program, sequence and deadlines for fulfillment, although the change in the legal framework of protected areas has prompted the reaction of organizations and groups for nature protection, both domestically and abroad.
This means that over the next two years (2026-2027), permits for the construction of tourist resorts and energy parks will continue to put pressure on protected areas.
The Law “On Protected Areas” was amended by the government in early 2024 to weaken protection against the unsustainable aggression of development projects. The changes allow the construction of hotels and the installation of renewable energy panels within territories with high natural sensitivity. Civil society organizations alerted public opinion to the risks of the changes. One group turned to the Constitutional Court, seeking its repeal, but was unsuccessful. Another sought the help of international partners, who, in turn, turned to officials in the European Commission’s enlargement and environment directorates to reverse the changes.
Environmental issues reached the discussion table of Chapter 27 – Environment and Climate Change and were intensively examined during the preparation of the negotiating position between the Commission and Albania. The position, which aims at approximation with the “acquis” of the European Union, was revised several times until September 2025, when the first draft was prepared with nine closing milestones, which Albania undertook to implement by the date of accession. Among them, one result stood out: two of the milestones were regressive. The first required the repeal of incompatible provisions (with the “acquis”) of the law “On protected areas”, while the second, the end of the law “On strategic investments”. The government had withdrawn!
"The milestones cannot be discussed, only the period of their fulfillment," confirmed the Minister of Environment, Sofjan Jaupaj, during the Roundtable 27 meeting. But while the burden for strategic investments was transferred to the Ministry of Economy, the repeal of the incompatible provisions of the law on protected areas closed the door to discussion regarding the timing of their treatment. Decision-making on the planning of the treatment of milestones remained outside of Roundtable 27, being taken over by the bureaucrats of the ministry, to be left as predicted: at the end of 2027. There was no explanation for this delay.
The exclusionary mindset extends beyond the integration table. At the Ministry of Environment, the Director of Biodiversity and Protected Areas, Ms. Klodiana Marika, shares the same mindset, although biodiversity issues, unilaterally provoked, have historically reflected social sensitivity.
"We're looking at them ourselves," Marika justifies. "We're taking into account the same criticisms that environmental organizations have presented. I have to read about 500 pages of documentation before I present the final draft of the changes," she argues.
The authority approach continues to feed a pattern. After rushing to make changes without listening to anyone, they are now delaying the reversal, excluding everyone. The same people who were ignored then are ignored now. Don't circumstances and experience feed a completely new mentality? Shouldn't the involvement of independent experts have been a rescue mechanism in the face of the large volume of work opened by Integration? Why do we continue to fall prey to technocracy with no way out? After all, aren't the legal changes to protected areas a symbol of the failure of the state authority for nature protection?
Once again, the parties find it impossible to build a sincere bridge of communication. Let's imagine for a moment the opposite: cooperation! What benefit could be achieved...
Showcase 27
Finally something is moving. Or, to avoid being naive supporters – it seems so. In January, a repeated announcement was issued by the Ministry of Environment seeking new recruits to participate in the “27 Table”. These are the integration and consultation tables, set up for thirty-three chapters, each of which represents areas of European legislation. 27 is about environmental policies and legislation. The table is a mechanism for democratizing green decision-making: a fashionable phrase. The table last met in early 2025, but despite a busy year of integration negotiations, it did not meet until the end of the year.
Almost at the same time as the integration roundtables (2019), the Council of Ministers APPROVED the establishment of inter-institutional working tables, according to the same division: one for each chapter; mainly, with the participation of administration officials. Such bureaucratic structures have realized a rich portfolio of meetings over the last two years: about one meeting every month.
It is noted that the integration tables do not have the same workload, as much has been prepared by inter-institutional groups, also supported by a narrow circle of non-profits. But this is not the only feature of the integration structure of Chapter 27. Insufficient time and high volume of work risk increasing tension during the adoption of numerous legal packages, which may reduce discussions and consultations in formal sessions.
“Time is short, but not impossible,” Jaupaj stated at the February 17 meeting of the integration roundtable. “The involvement of the European Commission and local experts will not create discussions on the legitimacy of the acts planned to be adopted,” he concluded.
The February 17 roundtable was the first in 2026, as the country begins its countdown to the European Union. The roundtable was massive in attendance, but poor in expertise. More than experts, the attendees were fund managers, mainly environmental. The media was not present, but the ministry was careful to contract operators and photographers, whose editing it controls. The participation of media representatives in the roundtable was insignificant, which means that independent reporting cannot be easily followed.
The table's productivity looks bleak. The 27th is not only the most difficult and costly chapter for Albania, but also a sustainable and democratic model for managing natural resources. After all, the path to Europe is not only with political action, but, at its core, aspiration.
More meetings, fewer representatives
Last week, as Minister Jaupaj had promised, a roundtable was held to present the national air strategy, along with the action plan. The meeting was i open to business representatives, but their presence was recorded by no more than two or three people, representatives of oil companies. No one was bothered. The “checkboxes” were filled in, along with the attendance list of forty-four participants, almost all of whom were employees of the public administration.
Air quality, in addition to the legal framework, constitutes one of the transitional periods negotiated to align with the "acquis" even later than Albania's accession to the European Union. And of course, one of the most costly. Part of the cost falls on oil companies, fuel supply points, metal processing, etc. In addition to air, Albania has also requested transitional periods for water quality, waste management and industrial emissions. The environment field has the highest number of transitional periods requested from the European Commission.
“There are thirteen of them,” informs Artenida Duraku, Director of Integration and Foreign Projects at the Ministry of Environment. “And we have planned their implementation, in accordance with EU requirements,” she assures.
To create the impression that integration is progressing and optimism prevails. The implementation of directives is a matter of time; transitional periods, just like the word itself. But although in the field of biodiversity we have no such period, therefore, no obstacles, the repeal of the legal provisions on protected areas was left for last. What does this indicate?! If we do not yet have a clear answer, at least we have raised a fair question.
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Artan Rama is a freelance journalist and producer who lives in Tirana. He won the second EU award for investigative journalism in 2016 and the third award in 2022. He has long been involved in reporting environmental crime stories, natural resource exploitation and sustainable development issues.
