Europe gives 4.5 mln Euros for Albania’s justice system

TIRANA, May 18 – The European Commission made available 4.5 million Euros for the new European Assistance Mission to the Justice System in Albania (EURALIUS II) to assist the Albanian Ministry of Justice and judicial institutions to develop a modern justice system, restoring Albanian’s confidence in their institutions and in the rule of law in Albania.
Over a period of 30 months, EURALIUS II will focus on the areas of Justice Organization and Justice Reform, Inter-Institutional Dialogue, Improvement of management capacities of the Judiciary and the Ministry of Justice; Improvement of the judicial budget administration and planning; Law Drafting and Legal Approximation; Penitentiary Issues; Enforcement of Rulings; Court Administration and Case Management, and Criminal Justice. EURALIUS II is also mandated to create a coordination and observation function in the area of land administration and immovable property rights.
“The rule of law is a fundamental pre-condition for membership; setting the mechanisms that permit the rule of law to be implemented properly is a fundamental task for all political forces, and we are pleased to help with another important assistance mission”, said Ambassador Helmuth Lohan of the European Commission Delegation office in Tirana.
The project has been implemented by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Justice in cooperation with the German Federal Ministry of Justice.
The reform and development of the Albanian justice system is one of the key priorities in the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), noted Lohan.
Agreement between political forces on reform legislation is a necessary condition for progress; alone, it is not sufficient for success, he added, saying that consensus should be accompanied by a broad consultation of stakeholders so such a process can also be implemented and enforced.
Observing the rule of law is a fundamental pre-condition for membership.