EU on specialization of judges and courts dealing with commercial law

TIRANA, Oct 29 – The European Commission has funded the training of the Albanian judges and courts on issues dealing with commercial law.
Experts working in the context of the EU funded Twinning Project “Enhancing the Judicial System in Commercial Matters” have drawn up recommendations to improve the administration of commercial justice in Albania.
The recommendations suggest the adaptation of the Albanian Civil Code to meet EU rules regarding company law, unfair competition, insolvency, consumer protection, and dispute settlements; enhancing the specialization of judges in commercial matters through less mobility of specialized judges in commercial courts; the concentration of commercial matters at lesser number of district courts to improve efficiency, and the monitoring of the duration of court proceedings.
The project has also given rise to a legislative reform action plan for improvement and harmonization of the current legal and institutional framework for commercial law, as well as to a manual on the new Albanian company law. The manual will be widely disseminated to the private and public sector.
“An improved performance of the judiciary in dealing with commercial cases will lead to an increase of confidence from the public and the business community. It will positively affect private sector development, and in particular foreign direct investment, because investors rely on the proper application of law and a measure of predictability in conducting their business”, said EC Ambassador Helmuth Lohan.
Albanian Justice Minister Enkelejd Alibeaj said that “We welcome all the project’s recommendations for the judicial system in commercial matters in Albania and we will make our best efforts to implement everything within the competence of the Ministry of Justice as soon as possible”.
The 1 million euro Twinning Project “Enhancing the Judicial System in Commercial Matters” started in October 2007 and will end in June 2009. It is being implemented by the Albanian and Austrian ministries of justice.