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Constructions in protected areas, legal changes raise concerns, VOA: How the government ignored the EU

2024-02-22 20:25:05Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Constructions in protected areas, legal changes raise concerns, VOA: How the
Prime Minister Edi Rama and Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro

In Albania, today the parliament approved several changes in the law on "Protected Areas" which pave the way for the construction of tourism hotel structures, or the development of other economic activities, considered as strategic investments. The changes proposed by the government have been strongly opposed by environmental organizations as well as the opposition, according to which the protected areas risk being threatened again. The European Union delegation, for its part, has expressed concern about the lack of public consultations and a predictable and transparent process.

The essence of the changes concerns the deletion of Article 33 of the existing law, which limited the activities in these areas only to those that were in the service of improving their environment. The new proposed article, on the contrary, allows the establishment of "accommodation structures of excellence, 5 stars or more, in the field of tourism" or agro-tourism.

Numerous organizations and environmental experts, who have raised their voices before, protested today in front of the parliament to oppose the approval of the changes which, according to them, "definitely seal the end of the system of Protected Areas and biodiversity in Albania and do not set any limits to unspecified destructive activities".

Representatives of the opposition also spoke in disturbing tones about the adoption of legal changes, which according to them will only serve the clients of Prime Minister Edi Rama. "If we talk about the captured parliament, about the violation of the legal procedure, about not maintaining control and balance in the parliament, this is the best example. Don't look at this law in isolation. Don't just look at the link for the environment. It is also very problematic for the environment, but look at it as a corrupt leader", said the democratic deputy Jorida Tabaku. Also for her colleague Ina Zhupa "today if you cut a tree in the forest, you will be punished. If you kill a wild animal, with the moratorium on hunting, you are punished, but if today you go and destroy and build in the middle of protected areas, where there are endless forests, you kill endless animals, you are called a strategic investor"

But the Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro said that everything will be developed on the basis of very strict criteria "and with very clear rules, only in those sub-areas foreseen, for elite tourist activities, ecotourism, agrotourism, or level tourism very high, within the very strict criteria approved by the ministry and the National Council of the Territory, it will be possible to develop with 3-4 very strict filters, from the Agency to the Government".

The changes give powers to the National Council of the Territory in determining the criteria, while the government itself will determine the activities that will be allowed, according to the definition of the areas, which are divided into "undisturbed" and other "slightly disturbed" natural areas. ".

The government has insisted that it has carried out numerous public consultations. But a letter from the head of the Delegation of the European Union in Tirana, Silvio Gonzato, sent a few days ago to the Parliamentary Committee on productive activities, which the Voice of America has read, reveals in fact that the consultations were held on a previous variant, meanwhile that the government's proposals are assessed as "significantly different from the initial amendments that were under consideration and for which civil society was consulted". The letter also reminds the parliament that according to the EU report on Albania, "legislation for strategic investments raises concerns for the protection of biodiversity".

Even after the vote in the parliament, the Delegation specified that "the adoption of laws on matters covered by EU legislation presupposes genuine and comprehensive public consultation, as well as a predictable and transparent process", implying that something like this did not happen .

Prime Minister Edi Rama reacted by writing in a post on social networks that he was 100 percent in agreement with the European Union. But if it were so, then the parliament would not have rushed to vote today, and should have considered the call of the Delegation through which, as written in the letter of its head Silvio Gonzato "it is strongly recommended that the Commission of Production Activities, to re-consult with civil society organizations and all interested parties for the proposals presented by the government in a transparent and comprehensive manner"./ VOA


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