The European Commission has published the Screening Report for Albania one year after the opening of negotiations for Albania’s membership in the EU and the end of the first round of meetings. The report highlights Albania’s progress towards the EU, the main challenges in the country and achievements in crucial reforms. Among other things, the report also dwells on the review of the legal framework and policies for civil society in the country, evaluating the establishment and improvement of the regulatory and institutional framework, but emphasizes that its implementation needs to be further strengthened.

The report emphasizes the importance of structures such as the National Resource Center for Civil Society, which is regarded as an information and support platform on consultative and policy-making processes for the sector and other partners.

The findings of the European Commission report coincide with the findings of the Monitoring Matrix on Enabling Environment for CSOs Development, Country Report for Albania 2022 prepared by Partners Albania, and its recommendations are consistent with a series of issues that underlie our advocacy efforts for a more enabling environment for the sector, such as progress in the law on volunteering, the establishment and operation of the National Electronic Register of NGO/CSOs, the facilitation of VAT refund procedures, the establishment of incentives for individual donations, etc.