The European Union has responded for the first time, a week after U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend all foreign aid programs for a 90-day period, including aid to Albania.
The European Union emphasized that it will continue its support for Albania, particularly for the justice reform, stating that it is foreseeing additional significant resources to assist with the justice reform in Albania.
The EU Delegation in Tirana highlighted the achievements of the Special Prosecution Against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) in the fight against high-level crime and corruption, adding that it has supported SPAK with a total budget exceeding 8 million euros over the years.
“The EU has been at the forefront of providing assistance for the justice reform and is committed to continuing its support for the justice reform in Albania.
Since the justice system underwent a fundamental reform in 2016, the EU has significantly increased its support. This has included budgetary support and over 50 million euros in technical assistance, with a focus on building institutions.
Other important resources are planned to continue this support without interruption, including through the Western Balkans Enlargement and Reform Mechanism.
The role of SPAK and its independence in investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating complex corruption cases is of crucial importance. The EU has supported SPAK since its establishment with dedicated technical assistance under the EU4LEA and EU4 FOCAL projects, with a total budget of over 8 million euros.
SPAK has delivered tangible results, contributing to Albania’s overall efforts to build a credible track record in the fight against serious crimes, organized crime, and corruption, including at the highest levels,” stated the EU in its declaration to Top Channel.
