Ida Ismail
The process of Albania's integration into the European Union is entering an intensive phase and requires the adoption of a large number of laws for approximation with European legislation. Faced with this time pressure, the Albanian Parliament has proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure, which foresee the use of an accelerated procedure for laws related to European integration.
In practice, this means that a large number of laws approximating Albanian legislation to European Union standards can be approved by Parliament in a much shorter time than normal parliamentary procedures. However, civil society organizations warn that this mechanism could create more problems than solutions.
The organizations raise concerns that the procedure may be applied automatically, without a case-by-case parliamentary assessment of the urgency of each draft law and without allowing sufficient time for consideration. In practice, this could lead to a situation where a large number of laws, often technically complex and with far-reaching institutional or economic impact, are adopted without sufficient parliamentary debate and without public consultation.
One of the biggest concerns is the lack of a minimum deadline for the consideration of draft laws in parliamentary committees. If a draft law is passed through an accelerated procedure without a defined period of consideration, MPs may have very little time to familiarize themselves with its content. This situation risks weakening the function of parliament as an institution of control and debate on legislation.
Blerjana Bino from the Science and Innovation Center for Development (SCiDEV) states that the proposed changes could affect the transparency and quality of the legislative process.
“The European integration process requires not only rapid adoption of legislation, but also high standards of public consultation, parliamentary scrutiny and stakeholder involvement. Accelerated procedures may be necessary in certain cases, but when used too frequently or become common practice, they can limit the space for in-depth debate and analysis. Laws related to important reforms require time to be thoroughly scrutinized, to listen to experts, civil society and interest groups and to assess their consequences.”
Lack of guarantees for public consultation
Another concern raised by civil society organizations is the lack of guarantees for public consultation. The proposed amendments to the parliamentary rules of procedure do not contain clear provisions obliging parliamentary committees to consult with experts, civil society organizations, or sectors affected by the laws.
Erida Skendaj from the Albanian Helsinki Committee states that the accelerated procedure harms public consultation, which is especially important for the approximation of legislation with that of the EU.
"It helps in its absorption by citizens and in its adaptation to the social and economic development of the country. Especially when this approximation is being developed with artificial intelligence, it is very important to test it before approval, through a qualitative and comprehensive consultation."
According to expert Erjon Tase from the Political Academy, stakeholder involvement is essential for the quality of legislation. He argues that businesses, exporters and other sectors affected by laws should have the opportunity to provide their input on how the legislation will be implemented in practice.
“In many cases, European legislation itself also provides for transitional periods for the implementation of new rules, which should be discussed with the actors who will be directly affected by them. Interest groups should not be behind the door waiting for the moment when the law is presented to Parliament. It is the duty of the Assembly to create new mechanisms or strengthen existing mechanisms, to notify them and involve them in a timely manner.”
For Blerjana Bino, the involvement of civil society and interest groups is very important, because it helps the legislative process be more transparent, more informed, and more trustworthy for the public.
Concerns about public consultation are not just theoretical. Civil society organizations cite as an example the process of amendments to the Albanian Criminal Code at the end of last year.
According to them, although formal consultations were held, many of the organizations' recommendations were not reflected in the final text of the law. This has created the perception that public consultation often remains a formal procedure and not a real process that influences decision-making.
Experts also call for more transparency on how draft laws that pass under the accelerated procedure are classified. According to them, the public, media and interested organizations should be able to clearly identify which laws are being reviewed under the accelerated procedure, on what procedural basis the decision was made, and which documents explain the urgency and compliance with European legislation.
On March 13, 2026, a group of civil society organizations filed a draft proposal in Parliament of Albania, where they suggest several measures to balance the need for speed with the democratic standards of the legislative process.
Among them is the request that the accelerated procedure not be applied automatically, but require a reasoned parliamentary decision for each draft law. It is also proposed to establish a minimum review period in committees of at least 10 working days.
It also requires the obligation for public consultation even in cases of accelerated procedure, increased transparency for documents accompanying draft laws, and strengthening the role of sectoral parliamentary committees in reviewing laws related to the European integration process.acqj.al
