One of the key elements in the new legal package for territorial protection is the usage certificate, which will condition the connection of buildings under construction to basic services such as electricity and water supply.

During the presentation of this package, Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed that no building will be allowed to function without this certificate. According to him, this measure aims to bring order to the construction sector and prevent situations where residents move into unregularized apartments, making the confiscation of buildings impossible.

“There will be no electricity and water connections if the building has not obtained a usage certificate. They move people into apartments, hold them hostage, and then disappear. That way, they make the confiscation of the building impossible. This will no longer be allowed. Until the day the usage certificate is issued, there will be no water, no electricity,” Rama declared.

The Prime Minister added that unlicensed commercial activities will face similar consequences, considering it unacceptable for businesses to operate illegally while benefiting from public services.

“Bars and restaurants operating without a license — we will review this component. No more cases where someone operates without a license but still pays for water, taxes, electricity. It is the responsibility of the state. No,” he said.

Rama emphasized that this new approach is a necessity on Albania’s path toward European Union membership and represents an important step in clearly separating the public interest from the private.

“To build a European Balkans, we must take important steps forward. We have done much to make this country more livable and more orderly, but now we must clearly distinguish what is public and what is private,” he concluded.