EU helps Albania’s fight against organized crime

TIRANA, July 20 – The European Commission Delegation and the Embassy of the United Kingdom to Albania announced the successful completion of a 25 month-long project in support of Albania’s efforts in the fight against organized crime.
The project, with a total value of 1 million Euros funded by the European Commission, has been implemented through a Twinning arrangement between the United Kingdom Home Office and the Albanian State Police.
The project has strengthened the capacities of the Investigative Units to gather evidence using modern investigative techniques and technical aids to investigations, and has assisted Albania in further strengthening its international cooperation and strategic relations in the fight against organized crime.
The project comprised a combination of advice and assistance, together with operational support. Assistance in the field of organized crime has included the development of covert policing capacity, evidence gathering and use of specialized equipment.
This project has benefited from the transfer of know-how from the United Kingdom both in tactical and strategic policing terms. The project has also addressed the issue of practical, daily cooperation between different law enforcement agencies.
Head of the EC Delegation to Albania, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan said, “I am pleased that this project has made an important contribution to the rule of law, since there can be no rule of law without the professional functioning of law enforcement bodies. But there is no doubt that more needs to be done to firmly anchor all aspects of governance to the rule of law.”
The concept of “twinning” implies a close partnership between public sector administrations in the beneficiary country and a Member State. As part of this partnership, long, medium and short-term experts from the United Kingdom have been seconded to Albania to implement project activities.