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EU warns Albania about Kushner-related project: It could penalize them in the integration process

2026-06-07 17:49:24Politikë SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Scenes from the protest in Zvernec

By Jakob Weizman – Politico.eu

Brussels is closely following political tensions in Albania, warning that the way the situation is managed could have consequences for the country's European integration process.

The European Commission has warned Albania to avoid actions that could negatively impact its path to European Union membership, as protests against a luxury tourism project linked to Jared Kushner continue in the south of the country.

National protests entered their seventh day on Sunday as residents demanded the cancellation of a luxury resort project linked to US President Donald Trump's son-in-law. Opponents of the project argue that it threatens a protected natural area, home to flamingos, Mediterranean seals and nesting sites for sea turtles.

The European Commission warns that the project could put Albania in breach of EU environmental rules, risking the closure of Chapter 27, which deals with the environment and climate change, in accession negotiations.

“Albania should refrain from actions that could undermine the fulfillment of the criteria for closing the chapter and we expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay ,” a European Commission spokesperson told POLITICO.

According to the Commission, as part of the accession process, Albania must fully harmonize its legislation with that of the European Union in the field of environment, including the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Brussels has also requested the repeal of amendments to the Law on Protected Areas and the completion of the Law on Strategic Investments.

The Commission spokesperson announced that the Minister of Environment, Sofjan Jaupaj, has informed Brussels that works on the project have been suspended and that an environmental impact assessment will be carried out in cooperation with civil society.

"We have already expressed our concerns to the Minister of the Environment regarding the possible shortcomings of this project," said the Commission representative.

Meanwhile, protests that organizers have dubbed the "Flamingo Revolution," in reference to the flamingos that live in the protected area, intensified over the weekend. More and more protesters are also demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.

Also, the Special Prosecution Office Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) has launched investigations regarding changes in the protection status of the area and land ownership issues during 2024.

"The project is also the subject of ongoing investigations by SPAK, which reportedly go beyond environmental concerns ," the European Commission stated.

For his part, Prime Minister Edi Rama has previously told POLITICO that European leaders are not paying much attention to the political unrest in Albania. In an interview during the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Montenegro on June 5, Rama said that “if it weren’t for Jared Kushner, no one would pay attention to this project.”

Meanwhile, Albanians in New York, London, Brussels, Milan and Berlin, as well as in various cities in Albania, have joined calls for the cancellation of the project and the protection of Albanian nature from tourist developments that are considered uncontrolled.

Albania is considered one of the favorite countries for membership in the European Union, along with Montenegro. Prime Minister Rama has set the country's membership objective by 2030, while aiming to conclude technical negotiations by the end of 2027.

Brussels' increased attention is linked to 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, which critics say paved the way for large-scale construction developments in environmentally sensitive areas. One of them is the Vjosa-Narte protected area, where the Kushner-related project is planned and for which a full environmental impact assessment has not yet been carried out.

The European Union has long urged Albania to abandon the 2015 Strategic Investment Law, arguing that it gives fast-track treatment to favored projects and could bypass environmental guarantees required by European standards.


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