Corruption is a continuing problem in Albania, undermining the rule of law and jeopardizing economic development. Albania ranked 91 out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Despite some improvement in the index from 2013 and 2014, progress in tackling corruption has been slow and unsteady. Albania remains one of the most corrupt countries in Europe, according to the CPI. The passage by Parliament of constitutional amendments in July 2016 to reform the judicial system was a major step forward, and reform, once fully implemented, is expected to position the country as a more attractive destination for international investors.

Judicial reform has been described as the most significant developments in Albania since the end of communism, and nearly one-third of the constitution was rewritten as part of the effort. The reform also entails the passage of laws to ensure implementation of the constitutional amendments. Judicial reform’s new vetting process will ensure that prosecutors and judges with unexplained wealth, insufficient training, or who have issued questionable past decisions are removed from the system. The reform will also establish an independent prosecutor and a specialized investigation unit to investigate and prosecute corruption and organized crime. If fully implemented, judicial reform will discourage corruption, promote foreign and domestic investment, and allow Albania to compete more successfully in the global economy.

UN Anticorruption Convention, OECD Convention on Combatting Bribery

The government has ratified several corruption-related international treaties and conventions and is a member of major international organizations and programs dealing with corruption and/or organized crime. Albania has ratified the Civil Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), the Additional Protocol to Criminal Law Convention on Corruption (Council of Europe), and the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Albania has also ratified a number of key conventions in the broader field of economic crime, including the Convention on Laundering, Search, Seizure and Confiscation of the Proceeds from Crime (2001); and the Convention on Cybercrime (2002). Albania has been a member of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) since the ratification of the Criminal Law Convention on Corruption, in 2001, and is a member of the Stability Pact Anti-Corruption Network (SPAI). Albania is not a member of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in international Business Transactions.

Resources to Report Corruption

In an effort to curb corruption, the government announced a new platform in 2017 called, “Shqiperia qe Duam – Albania We Want,”  through which citizens can submit complaints and/or cases of corruption and misuse of office by government officials. The platform has a dedicated link for businesses. The Integrated Services Delivery Agency (ADISA), a government entity, provides a second online portal  to report corruption.