TIRANA, June 22 – EU officials in Albania called for the government and land owners to commit to a dialogue that will resolve the country’s property issue in a sustainable manner on Friday.
Head of the European Commission delegation Romana Vlahutin said during a joint meeting between government representatives and owners’ associations that a lot of injustice was done over the decades on the property issue and that only dialogue between all parties can offer a durable solution.
Only last Friday, residents of the Rjoll village, in Albania’s North Velipoja tourist area, protested against the attempts of some “powerful people” to rob them off their properties in one of the most beautiful areas of the beach. They said that courts and mortgages are part of the “robbing process.”
Complaints about property theft and illegal property appropriation are an issue that re-emerges time and time again in Albania.
Vlahutin stressed that the right to property is a fundamental human right and non-negotiable for the EU, because Albania is a member of the European Convention on Human Rights since 1992.
In the latest report for Albania, Vlahutin reminded, the European Commission clearly stated that Albania should make property registration and compensation through the responsible institutions a priority.
Moreover, Albania should act through an accurate strategy to resolve its long-persisting property issue and establish a system for territorial management.
The fact that the issue remains open also testifies that relevant institutions haven’t properly done their duties from the point of justice and human rights.
“The solution that will be given to the property issue should particularly improve property rights in order to ensure a competitive economy, attract investment and develop agriculture and maximal land use. Legality comes first and then proportionality in compensation and private property must be protected and guaranteed from the state,” Vlahutin said.
Albania’s property issue is more complex than in any other country, as it started with the violation of private property during communism and continued through a series of other violations that added chaos during the long transition period.
The consequences of law 7501 on the separation of agricultural land and law on property restitution and compensation added to the overall chaos and brought even more abuse.
The corruption factor and institutions’ abuse added to the violations, while a lot of people lost their agricultural lands through legalizations, when absurdities such as the legalization of public beaches as private property also occurred – some still under investigation currently.
“Punishment of any kind of violation should be given to anyone who hinders property ownership by its lawful owner. The legislation is fragmented, it has brought many delays and abuse on the ground, conflicts for several decades, has led to people’s intimidation and has deterred development,” Vlahutin concluded.
Meanwhile, Albania is developing a deep reform in the judicial system and is striving to improve the implementation of human rights, including property rights. However, reforms in this field, too, have been criticized for taking longer than they should to implement.
