Despite concerns about nature conservation: EU starts negotiations with Albania

Brussels, Radolfzell. On September 16, 2025, the EU officially opened accession negotiations with Albania on Cluster 4, including Chapter 27 on the environment and climate change. Although this is being celebrated as a milestone on Albania's path to EU membership, the question arises as to whether this step is timely and credible, given Albania's recent setbacks in nature conservation.

A particularly egregious case is the construction of Vlora International Airport in the Vjosa-Narta Nature Reserve. This project was initiated without a valid building permit, without a credible Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and without a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). It continued after the government amended the boundaries of the nature reserve to "zone out" the airport site. At the same time, Albania amended the law on protected areas, weakening protection measures and opening the door to large-scale infrastructure and tourism projects within legally protected areas.

All of these measures are not isolated missteps. This represents a worrying pattern , occurring precisely at a time when Albania is supposed to align its laws with EU nature conservation regulations. International institutions have already taken a stand on this. The Bern Convention, for example, called for a halt to airport construction, and the European Parliament also warned against such legislative changes. Nevertheless, construction work continues, and the amended laws remain in force.

"Opening negotiations under the environmental chapter could set a dangerous precedent, allowing Albania to undermine nature conservation and still advance in the accession negotiations," says Gabriel Schwaderer , Managing Director of EuroNatur. "The EU must prove that Chapter 27 is not just a formality, but a true test of the willingness to implement EU requirements."

Solutions and next steps

Both the EU and Albania bear a responsibility to ensure that the negotiations do not become a greenwashing exercise. The standards set out in the EU's Common Position must be non-negotiable. Albania must take concrete measures:

• The harmful provisions of Law 21/2024 on protected areas must be repealed, and the exemptions for "strategic investments" that allow the development of ecologically sensitive areas must be abolished. Full protection of Vjosa-Narta and other similar areas must be restored.
• Work on Vlorë International Airport must be suspended and reviewed. Before any further steps are taken, the project must undergo a credible Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). Comprehensive public scrutiny must be ensured.
• The Aarhus Convention must be fully implemented so that citizens and non-governmental organizations can access information, participate in decision-making, and challenge illegal projects in court.
• Directive-specific implementation plans (DSIPs) with clear timelines, budgets and implementation measures for air, water, waste, nature and climate laws must be adopted.

For the EU, this means strict monitoring and political determination. Chapter 27 must not be closed until Albania has demonstrably met these conditions. For Albania, this means demonstrating through actions, not empty promises, that it is ready to meet EU environmental standards.

"The targets are clear, and now Albania must demonstrate that it can and will fulfill them. Protecting Vjosa and Narta is not only a national duty, but also proof of whether the country is truly ready for Europe. However, if projects like Vlora Airport are pushed forward with inadequate assessments, illegal practices, and in violation of protected areas, and if the EU neglects its oversight duties, the credibility of both Albania's commitments and EU standards is at stake," adds Aleksandër Trajçe, Director of the organization "Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania" (PPNEA).

"The opening of negotiations must herald a real change in Albania's environmental policy, not the burial of the last wild landscapes under concrete. The EU has the necessary instruments and standards, but it must apply them consistently. Geopolitical considerations must not justify impunity for environmental violations. The Albanian people and Europe's shared natural heritage are worth it," said Viktor Berishaj , Senior Policy Officer at EuroNatur.