Administrative and territorial reform in Albania and the issue of decentralization (Comparative overview of relevant international legislation)

• Author: Senada Reçi - Irisa Ymeri
• Position: University of Shkoder, Albania - Assistant lawyer Shkoder, Albania
• Pages: 175-183

ISSN 2410-3918

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

175

IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania

Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences Vol. 2 No. 1

March 2016

Administrative and territorial reform in Albania and the issue of decentrali-

zation

(Comparative overview of relevant international legislation)

Dr. Senada Reçi

University of Shkoder, Albania

MSc Irisa Ymeri

Assistant lawyer Shkoder, Albania

Abstract

This paper aims to examine the new administrative-territorial reform in Albania, to refer

initially to an overview of the administrative-territorial reform in the countries of Central

and Eastern Europe, with the purpose to study the positive and negative effects in order to

prevent possible adverse effects. It will be followed by the treatment of administrative-

territorial division in Albania, with a particular focus given to the recommendations of the

European Union and the Council of Europe, to continue with the problems requiring an

undertaking of administrative-territorial reform in Albania. An important part of it are the

criteria applied to the design of the new map of the administrative-territorial reform analyzed

in conformity with EU models that are more appropriate to implement the concept of reform

in Albania. The conclusions present the real situation of the territorial administrative reform

and its effects.

Keywords: administrative-territorial reform, decentralization, local government,

administrative units, European Charter of local autonomy.

Introduction

The territory is more than a line on the map; it is a fundamental characteristic of the

political and social life. It provides the right framework for the interaction of political,

social, economic relations, identity, political accountability and public policy. Albania

has already taken an important step towards the reorganization of the country. This

process is necessary and complex, because these are inevitably substantial changes

that affect community life. In other words, the new territorial division of Albania is

not just a new definition of administrative boundaries relating to local government

but provides new growth opportunities in all aspects. To better understand the

importance of administrative-territorial division, we made reference to the former

communist states with the same last historical and political governance, the countries

of Central and Eastern Europe.

The tendency of administrative-territorial reform in the countries of Central

and Eastern Europe, after the 90-s

The organization of local government has changed in many countries in Central and