TIRANA TIMES
TIRANA, July 12 – Corruption remains a problem in Albania, and European Union and other international institutions continue to see it as a shortcoming for Albania’s democratic progress and its integration efforts into the bloc.
To help fight corruption, the European Union has given 79,000 euros in a project titled “Shaping mass disobedience to the rule of corruption through awareness raising, advocacy, public education and monitoring.”
The project will try to raise awareness of the costs of compliance with corruption practices and empowering citizens to oppose these practices, especially in the education and health sectors. This is one of the seven civil society actions that the EU is financially supporting dedicated to the fight against corruption in Albania.
As noted in the 2009 Progress Report of the European Commission on Albania “corruption is prevalent in many areas and continues to be a particularly serious problem.” The EU has continuously supported Albania in the fight against corruption. Currently, the EU is supporting the implementation of the Anti-Corruption Strategy and the work of the Department of Anti-Corruption at the Prime Minister’s Office with 2 million euros.
The EU also financially assists civic action for transparent and accountable governance, in full acknowledgment of the important role to be played by civil society actors to raise public awareness of the costs of corruption, to monitor the public sector, and to promote a culture of transparency and integrity.
In a conference on building a democratic society and rejecting corruptive practices, Charge d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to Albania, Aneil Singh emphasized the need for an inclusive approach to fighting corruption, noting that “regular dialogue and information exchange on the implementation of the Anti-Corruption strategy between government and civil society can only be positive in help defining problems, perspectives and solutions”.
Singh went on to encourage civil society to be more active in the fight against corruption recalling that “decisions are made by those who show up” and engage constructively in this fight.
The project “Shaping mass disobedience to the rule of corruption through awareness raising, advocacy, public education and monitoring” will continue to contribute to informing citizens on the costs of corruption in the health and education sectors until August 2010.
