EU completes 800,000 euros assistance project for GPO

TIRANA, March 18 – The European Union completed its 800,000 euros assistance project for Albania’s General Prosecutor’s Office at a ceremony this week, EU’s office in Tirana said in a statement.
The project started in October 2008 and was implemented through a twinning between the Albanian General Prosecution Office, the Spanish General Prosecutor’s Office and the Italian High Council of Judiciary.
The EU has long assisted Albania in addressing several shortcomings in Albania’s justice system through improving judicial infrastructure, the construction of the Serious Crimes Court in Tirana, the renovations and reconstructions of the courts of Saranda, Vlora, Dibra, Kor衩, and through bringing expertise to help with law drafting.
During the closing ceremony, the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Albania, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan emphasized the significance of a transparent, accountable, efficient and depoliticized judiciary for a functioning democracy.
“The independence of the judiciary, the independence of the General Prosecutor’s Office starts with the mutual understanding between the political world and the judiciary world that justice cannot be political, preferential or discriminatory,” he said.
The project has assisted the General Prosecutor’s Office in improving its professional management systems and working practices in order to enhance the efficiency and transparency of prosecutorial functions in Albania. It has enabled the General Prosecutor’s Office to benefit from the assistance and expertise of Spanish and Italian counterparts to improve the internal functioning of the GPO, the establishment of efficient and transparent systems for the evaluation and inspection of prosecutors, as well the definition of specialized training seminars on professional ethics and techniques of inspection.
“The project experts maintained a constant and fruitful dialogue with Albanian prosecutors, police, relevant agencies and international partners,” the statement said. “An in-depth study of the conditions of the GPO resulted in a proposal to improve the effectiveness of investigative methods, drawing upon the experience both of Albanian institutions in the last few years and EU Member States.”