Environmental organizations have welcomed the adoption of the European Parliament’s resolution on Albania, describing the vote as strong support for the country’s protected areas.
In their reaction, the organizations stressed that “Members of the European Parliament have called on Albania to repeal legal amendments that allow development within protected areas and to impose a moratorium until full compliance with European legislation is guaranteed.”
Full statement from the environmental organizations:
Members of the European Parliament have voted to call on Albania to repeal legislation that enables the destruction of protected areas and to suspend all new developments within protected areas until this is achieved.
Today, the European Parliament adopted its resolution on the European Commission’s 2025 Report on Albania, expressing serious concerns over ongoing developments within the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape and stating that the rule of law and EU environmental standards are non-negotiable conditions for accession. The resolution calls for the repeal of Albania’s 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, legislation that has enabled the destruction of one of the Mediterranean’s most extraordinary natural sites and sparked the largest street protests Albania has seen in a generation.
It also calls for an “immediate moratorium on new permitting procedures, construction works, and development interventions within protected areas until the incompatible provisions of Albania’s amended Law on Protected Areas are repealed and full compliance with EU nature protection standards is ensured.”
More than 100,000 Albanians have taken to the streets over the past 18 days in what has become globally known as the “Flamingo Revolution” — a popular uprising against the illegal destruction of forests, ancient dunes, and protected habitats within the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape.
The adopted resolution specifically calls for the repeal of the 2024 amendments to the Law on Protected Areas, which allow large-scale tourism infrastructure inside protected areas and remove key environmental oversight mechanisms. MEPs also expressed deep concern over Albania’s Strategic Investments Law, whose accelerated permitting procedures risk bypassing environmental scrutiny in sensitive areas.
Today’s vote stands in sharp contrast to the European Commission’s response to the reported violations. On June 15, Commissioner Kos stated that the Commission had received assurances from the Albanian government that an Environmental Impact Assessment would be carried out, overlooking the fact that construction activities had already taken place without permits, transparency, or an Environmental Impact Assessment. Parliament has demonstrated greater commitment than the Commission in defending EU laws.
The Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape forms part of the last intact delta ecosystem in the Mediterranean. It hosts more than 200 bird species and over 70 threatened species, lies along one of Europe’s most critical migratory corridors, and provides essential habitat for the Mediterranean monk seal and the loggerhead sea turtle — species that EU member states, including Greece, Italy, and Croatia, are legally obliged to protect. What happens here does not stay in Albania.
Since early May 2026, construction has continued inside the protected area without any published project, Environmental Impact Assessment, public consultation, or valid permit — in direct violation of Albania’s accession commitments under the environmental acquis and Cluster 1 on the rule of law. This comes in addition to the construction of the Vlora International Airport within the same protected area, which began in November 2021.
Joni Vorpsi, Director of Policy and Advocacy at PPNEA, said: “The European Parliament’s call for an immediate moratorium is exactly what is needed in our fight to protect Vjosa-Narta. It gives Albanian authorities the time and clarity needed to align with EU nature protection standards and avoid irreversible mistakes that could undermine Albania’s path toward EU membership. We want Albania in the European family, and that is precisely why we cannot afford this mistake.”
Anouk Puymartin, Policy Director at BirdLife Europe, stated: “Today, the European Parliament stood alongside the thousands of Albanians protesting in the streets of Tirana. This vote sends a clear message: you cannot join the EU while bulldozing protected wetlands and bypassing your own laws. Protecting Vjosa-Narta and respecting the Birds and Habitats Directives are fundamental conditions for EU membership. The Albanians protesting in Tirana already knew that protecting nature and protecting democracy are the same fight. Today, the European Parliament said the same.”
There are growing concerns that other Western Balkan countries pursuing EU membership are closely watching developments and considering similar legislation. Today’s vote makes it clear that such an approach is incompatible with accession to the European Union.
