EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said protests in Albania do not threaten the country’s path toward European Union membership.
Speaking after the ninth Albania-EU Intergovernmental Conference, Kos said Albania had successfully closed three negotiation chapters.
She urged Albania to align its legislation on protected areas with EU standards, describing environmental protection as a key requirement for accession.
Kos said Albania and the European Commission had already agreed to review the 2024 amendments to the protected areas law and repeal the strategic investments law to advance negotiations under Chapter 27 on environment and climate change.
She encouraged the Albanian authorities to complete these reforms as quickly as possible.
Kos also stressed that protests are a normal part of democratic societies and that governments should address citizens’ concerns through democratic processes.
Prime Minister Edi Rama clarified that Albania will amend, not repeal, the protected areas law to ensure full compliance with EU legislation.
He added that the government will repeal the strategic investments law and replace it with a new legal framework developed in cooperation with the European Commission.
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