A single amendment to the European Parliament's 2025 Commission report on Albania, proposed by the Greens/EFA group, escalates parliamentary scrutiny of the Vjosa-Narta protected area crisis and introduces monitoring of peaceful protests, linking environmental governance to rule-of-law commitments. The amendment, tabled on 10 June 2026 to the report by rapporteur Andreas Schieder (S&D), replaces a general expression of concern with a direct call for Albanian authorities to "immediately establish a moratorium on all new permitting procedures" within the Vjosa-Narta area.
The amendment makes three substantive changes to the original paragraph. It upgrades language from "concern" to "serious concern" and adds a causal link: developments in Vjosa-Narta "demonstrate the practical consequences" of recent legislative changes that the group views as weakening environmental protections. It introduces a new sentence stating that Parliament "closely follows the ongoing peaceful mass protests," elevating civic dissent to a subject of EU oversight. The most significant change is the demand for a moratorium on new permits, a concrete, time-bound intervention that would halt economic activity in the protected zone pending review.
As only the Greens/EFA group submitted amendments to this paragraph, no direct inter-group comparison is possible. However, the amendment's confrontational tone implies a divergence from the original text's more measured approach, implicitly criticising the Albanian government for failing to balance development with EU environmental standards and fundamental rights. The amendment frames the Vjosa-Narta crisis as a test of Albania's EU accession obligations under the environmental acquis, linking domestic permitting practices to rule-of-law commitments.
The amendment will be considered as part of the Parliament's plenary vote on the Albania report, expected later in June 2026. If adopted, it would send a strong political signal to the Albanian government and EU institutions, potentially influencing the Commission's next enlargement package. The Council and Commission will then take note of the Parliament's position in their own assessments of Albania's progress.
Stakeholder impacts: Albanian authorities face increased pressure to halt development in Vjosa-Narta, potentially affecting tourism and energy projects. Environmental NGOs gain a stronger EU parliamentary mandate to advocate for protection. Local communities in the Vjosa-Narta area may see economic activity paused but could benefit from enhanced environmental safeguards. EU institutions must balance enlargement momentum with rule-of-law conditionality, a trade-off that could slow accession talks if Albania resists the moratorium.