EU gives 49.3 million Euros to Albania for 2007

TIRANA, Jan. 22 – The European Commission gave Albania 49.3 million Euros to help Albania’s infrastructure, penitentiary system, business environment and raise administration capacities, the EC office in Tirana said on Wednesday.
The funding, which is part of the 61 million Euros total amount under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) 2007, supports projects to improve water supplies and sewerage systems, the penitentiary system, police, small businesses and tax department.
It will also provide assistance for the alignment of Albanian statistics with EU standards and strengthen capacities of the Albanian authorities to manage the EU assistance in a decentralized manner, according to a statement.
The aid package comes as part of an assistance program for countries that are considered possible future members of the European Union.
In 2006, Albania signed a pre-membership agreement with the EU, an initial step toward joining the 27-member union which allows it to benefit from the assistance program under EU budgets for 2007-2009 for transition assistance, institution building and cross-border cooperation.
Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, who heads the European Commission’s delegation to Albania, said “The European Commission expects the Albanian administration to increasingly assume ownership of programming and implementation of activities.”
Brussels also wants more media freedom, an independent judiciary, stronger property rights and a tougher fight against corruption in Albania, a Balkan country of about 3.2 million people, which is one of the poorest in Europe.
The EU is the largest aid donor to Albania, providing more than 1.2 billion Euros since 1991.