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Representatives of national institutions responsible for environmental inspection, enforcement and prosecution came together in a technical workshop on 2 February 2023. The event was organized by the OSCE Presence in Albania that has taken the lead in conducting a baseline assessment on the inspection, investigation and punishment of environmental violations, in close co-operation with national institutions.

The workshop discussed the preliminary findings of the baseline assessment. The outcomes and inputs gathered from the institutions during the meeting will be elaborated by the Presence’s contracted experts, and incorporated in the final baseline assessment that will be delivered to the national authorities.

“Environmental violations pose a great threat to the economy, nature and tourism development and they are intricate to be addressed in terms of legal, inter-institutional and technical dimensions,” said Aleksandar Maskovic, Head of the OSCE Presence’s Department on Governance in Economic and Environmental Issues.

Anila Leka, a prosecutor from the General Prosecution Office, said: “Environmental violations must be seen in their complexity, both in the administrative aspect and then in the criminal aspect. We must be clear that the criminalization of violations should only come as a last resort as this is associated with economic costs”.

Josif Shtëmbari from the Albanian State Police said: “Environmental enforcement has become a priority of the State Police and this is also noticed by the increase in the number of cases identified and referred to the Prosecutor".

The workshop provided a platform for the stakeholders to come together and discuss how to work collaboratively and effectively on environmental issues ranging from legal and institutional framework to capacity, infrastructure and more.

The event was part of the “Enhance environmental governance and security in Albania” project, which is implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania and funded by France and Norway.