TIRANA, Dec 16 /ATA/ – The European Union’s chargé d’affaires in Albania, Andre Rizzo, said on Tuesday that the adoption of access-to-information laws must be accompanied by effective enforcement in practice.
Speaking at Albania’s seventh National Conference on the Right to Information, Rizzo said implementation of the law on access to information requires working institutional transparency programmes, timely responses to information requests, oversight of electronic request and response registers, and the publication of data in line with open-government standards.
“The EU remains committed to supporting stronger monitoring and enforcement of the law, as well as enhancing the powers of the Commissioner for the Right to Information and Data Protection,” Rizzo said.
He stressed the importance of proactive disclosure of information, particularly in sensitive sectors such as public procurement, taxation, education, healthcare, social services and local government.
Rizzo underlined the need for full alignment with EU transparency standards, adding that there were encouraging signs of progress. He said municipalities were not starting from scratch, citing existing transparency programmes at both central independent institutions and local government level.
He also welcomed the preparation of a manual for implementing the anti-corruption strategy, which defines clear roles for coordination mechanisms led by the relevant ministries.
“This is a vital element in preventing corruption through transparency tools and effective feedback mechanisms that help measure public perception and real impact,” Rizzo said.
He added that the EU would continue to support Albania in fully implementing the right to information, improving governance and increasing transparency, including through stronger transparency programmes and faster, more comprehensive responses to information requests.
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