European External Action Service

09/23/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/23/2022 06:03

Speech of EU Ambassador Christiane Hohmann at the launching of the project “European Union for Law Enforcement in Albania - EU4LEA“

Dear Minister, Dear Prosecutor General, Dear Chief Special Prosecutor, Dear Director General of Police, Dear Prefect, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a real pleasure to be here today for the launch of the project "European Union for Law Enforcement in Albania - EU4LEA".

This project builds on two decades of close and gradually increasing cooperation between the EU and Albania's law enforcement bodies.

Today's launch, however, takes place in a whole new context, just a few weeks after the start of Albania's EU accession negotiation process. This makes our cooperation even more strategic and relevant.

As we speak, the screening meeting on chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) is taking place in Brussels. A number of your colleagues are of course present there.

The start of accession talks is a huge achievement for Albania and for the EU. It is the result of years of work and continuous determination, including by many of you present today. Albania is starting a marathon, which will require endurance, skills, and strong coordination.

As you know, EU member states are the ones define the "rules of the game" for EU enlargement. And they have made it very clear that progress on rule of law will determine the overall pace of Albania's EU accession talks.

Therefore, Albania will need to demonstrate strong political leadership to advance the rule of law. And justice institutions and law enforcement bodies will of course play a crucial role.

Besides the screening, one of the first tasks for Albanian authorities as part of the accession negotiations will be to present a rule of law roadmap, in which they will set out their reform ambitions and targets.

Let me mention some of the critical issues that will be of particular attention to EU institutions and Member States:

They will look at how the justice reform is being consolidated - such as the completion of the vetting, the proper functioning of the independent justice institutions, efforts to improved efficiency of the justice institutions.

They will closely monitor the track record of investigation, prosecutions and convictions in the fight against corruption and organised crime.

They will expect more results in the field of anti-money laundering. We need to continue to work together to ensure Albania's delisting from the FATF grey list.

There will need to see a continuous commitment to counter the production and trafficking of cannabis, trafficking in firearms and human beings.

Another key indicator will be the further development of cooperation with EU Members States' law enforcement agencies, Europol and Eurojust, building on the existing achievements.

In this respect, continuity of cooperation is essential, to develop the necessary trust. It also requires the use of secured transmission channels like SIENA - making use of the equipment and training provided by the EU.

We want Albania to succeed in this endeavourand this is why the EU will be here to support. The EU4LEA project is one of our key tools to support your institutions.

Under the EU4LEA, EU Member States are once again ready to join forces and share their state-of-the art expertise, knowledge, good practices with Albania. We need to work together for a safer Albania, and a safer EU.

I would like to thank colleagues from Italy, Austria and Spain who believed in this EU project from the beginning and who are now providing critical expertise.

The project team will have the exciting and rewarding task to build stronger and well-integrated capacities within the law enforcement agencies, prosecution and other relevant bodies. Only an integrated system can efficiently deliver in critical areas such as border control, migration, asylum, customs, police and judicial cooperation, the fight against organised crime and against terrorism, or illegal trafficking.

Each of you, as institution and as individuals benefitting, play a pivotal role in making this new EU project a success. We count on your strong commitment to assume full ownership of the project implementation and to be accountable for it.

In an increasingly turbulent world, our close cooperation in the field of justice and home affairs is more than ever needed, to make us collectively stronger to face threats affecting our institutions and societies. This requires solid technical assistance but also a strong dialogue at the top political level.

In this respect, I am happy to announce that on 3-4 November, Tirana will host the next EU-Western Balkans Ministerial Meeting on Justice and Home Affairs, with participation of the Czech Council presidency and of the European Commissioners in charge of Justice (Didier Reynders) and Home Affairs (Ylva Johansson).

Talking of current security threats, I would like to reiterate the EU's full solidarity with the Albanian institutions, including the police, which have been victims of massive cyberattacks. The EU is supporting Albania in becoming more resilient against such attacks. Together with our Member States' specialised agencies, we assist Albania in a systemic way - to better prevent, detect, investigate and respond to such attacks.

I cannot conclude my intervention without stressing the importance of long-term sustainability of EU assistance, including by ensuring a transfer of skills and knowledge in the longer run. Hence the crucial role of the Security Academy and the School of Magistrates, which are also supported by our assistance.

I would like to extend my special thanks to all heads of institutions and their staff benefitting from this project for their renewed trust. I wish you all to make the best use of the EU4LEA project, which can assist you to deliver tangible results and help your country advance towards EU accession.

Thank you.