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The IPARD 2 program was squandered, the EU asks Albania to return over 33 million euros

2025-12-10 23:51:05Biznes SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Von der Leyen and Rama

The European Union is asking Albania to return over 33.5 million euros under the IPARD 2 program.

This amount is considered to have been spent irregularly over the period 2020-2022. After investigations, the European Anti-Fraud Office found 52 cases of abuse of money provided by the EU under IPARD.

"Any amount found to have been used irregularly will have to be returned to the EU budget. The Albanian government has engaged a specialized external company to carry out an in-depth audit of IPARD II grants and payments, as well as of the new internal management and control system. Now that the authorities have received the audit recommendations, they are assessing the appropriate corrective measures ," the European Commission tells A2 CNN.

The cases and amount found to have been spent irregularly in Albania is the highest in the Region, even surpassing Turkey.

The European Commission urges the Government of Albania "to treat this issue with the utmost seriousness":

"As EU taxpayers' funds are at stake, the Commission expects the Albanian authorities to treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. The European Union stands ready to continue supporting Albanian farmers, the agri-food sector and rural areas in the future, provided that the financial interests of the European Union are properly protected."

Along with a portion of IPARD 2 funds, IPARD 3 funds have also remained suspended. There are 146 million euros in total, 112 million of which are funded by the European Union.

With funds expiring in 2027, Albania may not benefit from a single penny if it does not move faster in its efforts to regain the trust of EU institutions:

"Currently, a bilateral procedure is underway between the European Commission and the Albanian authorities, with the aim of ensuring that the appropriate corrective measures are put in place as soon as possible by the Albanian institutions."

In addition to the EU institutions, the issue of abuse of European Union IPARD funds is also being investigated by SPAK.


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