The European Commission says Albania continued to implement judicial reform and the Cross-Sector Justice Strategy throughout 2026.
First, Albania completed the vetting process for all judges and prosecutors after authorities finalized the appeals phase. Consequently, the process further strengthened judicial independence, accountability, and integrity across the justice system.
In addition, Albania made progress in integrating the high standards of the vetting process into the ordinary justice system. To achieve this, lawmakers revised the rules for appointing non-magistrate members to the High Judicial Council and the High Prosecutorial Council.
Meanwhile, the High Justice Inspector continued its work. However, the institution still faced a significant number of vacancies for magistrate inspectors.
Although the judiciary remained stable, some actors continued to exert undue influence on justice institutions and launched personal attacks against magistrates. At the same time, authorities still struggled to conduct timely and high-quality evaluations of judges.
Nevertheless, judicial training improved and courts reduced part of their case backlog. However, authorities have not yet fully implemented a modern integrated electronic case management system, including maintenance plans and staff training.
Furthermore, Albania continued to implement the 2024–2030 Anti-Corruption Strategy and its action plan. The country also maintained a largely complete legal framework to fight corruption and took additional steps to align with EU legislation and European standards.
Moreover, the Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) continued to deliver results. It investigated, prosecuted, and secured convictions in high-level corruption cases, while strengthening its track record in the fight against corruption.
Despite this progress, corruption risks remained widespread in the State Police, public procurement, and other high-risk sectors. In addition, Albania improved its institutional framework for corruption prevention, but coordination with law enforcement agencies remained weak.
Similarly, the High Inspectorate for the Declaration and Audit of Assets and Conflict of Interest improved the effectiveness and transparency of asset declaration checks. Even so, several shortcomings persisted.
Regarding media freedom, the Commission continued to express concerns about the independence of the media regulatory authority and the public broadcaster. Specifically, appointment procedures and political affiliations raised questions about their independence.
Furthermore, authorities took steps to improve transparency in media ownership. However, media concentration and the influence of politically connected business groups continued to pose serious challenges. Likewise, although authorities moved forward with plans for an audience measurement system, they still failed to ensure the fair distribution of state advertising and other public resources.
The report also identified shortcomings in access to public information. Moreover, journalists continued to face verbal and physical threats, smear campaigns, and strategic lawsuits, despite the partial decriminalization of defamation for registered journalists.
At the legislative level, concerns persisted over the quality of lawmaking. In particular, authorities did not consistently apply evidence-based policymaking or conduct effective public consultations. Meanwhile, political polarization continued to hinder parliamentary work.
On a positive note, the Constitutional Court continued to safeguard institutional checks and balances. In addition, authorities appointed a new Ombudsperson and a new Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination.
Overall, civil society organizations continued to operate freely in Albania. However, they still faced challenges related to policy transparency, public consultations, unequal consultation practices, and financial sustainability.
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