Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on July 14 that his government would amend legislation governing protected areas to bring it into line with European Union standards, in a move welcomed by protesters who have opposed a controversial luxury tourism project linked to US investors.
Speaking at a joint press conference in Brussels with EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, Rama said Albania would repeal its strategic investments law and revise the protected areas law after criticism from environmental groups, opposition activists and the European Parliament, an Albanian government statement said.
The announcement came after 45 days of protests in Albania, known as the “Flamingo Revolution”, initially sparked by plans for a luxury resort in the protected Vjosa-Narta lagoon area on the Adriatic coast. The project is backed by investors including Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law.
Protesters accuse Rama’s government of putting the interests of developers ahead of environmental protection and have called for greater transparency over major tourism developments.
Kos said the protests would not derail Albania’s EU accession path but stressed that environmental reforms were necessary for the country to progress.
“Even before these protests started, we had agreed with Albania that during this year the 2024 amendments to the law on protected areas would be repealed,” Kos said. “The law on strategic investments would also be repealed and these changes would have to be made in order to close the negotiations on chapter 27, which deals with the environment and climate change.”
She added that public protests were part of democratic processes and encouraged the Albanian government “to take steps forward, to address the concerns of citizens”.
Rama said the strategic investments law had completed its purpose and would be replaced, while the protected areas law would be adjusted rather than abolished.
“We need to repeal the Strategic Investments Law, which is something we have agreed on, because this law has fulfilled its mission and we are working closely with the Commission on the new law,” Rama said.
“As for the Protected Areas Law, we have nothing to repeal, even though there was a resolution in the European Parliament that requested this, but in fact we will review this law based on all European standards and we will change within this law everything that is not in line with European standards.”
The European Parliament last month criticised Albania over legal changes that lawmakers said weakened environmental safeguards. It called for the repeal of 2024 amendments to the protected areas law, arguing they allowed large-scale tourism infrastructure in sensitive areas.
It also raised concerns over the extension of the strategic investments law, which it said allowed accelerated permitting procedures and reduced environmental scrutiny.
Rama defended the government's approach, saying projects would be assessed according to EU rules.
“The Commission remains in fact the one that firmly maintains objectivity because the Commission works based on facts, works based on data, works based on verified sources,” he said.
“The idea that Albania would move forward with something that would not be in full compliance with the standards and principles of the EU is a baseless claim, so there is nothing to worry about. Zero.”
He said the Vjosa-Narta project was still under development and that environmental assessments were ongoing.
“We will do a project that will be a source of pride for Albania and for Europe,” Rama said. “We will only ask for something that will make everyone proud to have this thing in the middle of Europe. Otherwise it will not happen.”
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