On 17 June, MEPs voted on the parliamentary report on Albania, highlighting the country’s progress in the EU enlargement process and the need for environmental safeguards. To shed light on the endangered natural treasures of Albania, a group of Greens/EFA MEPs will visit the Vjosa-Narta protected area landscape from 29 June to 1 July. They will meet local communities, environmental defenders, and government representatives, who are active in ongoing environmental protection efforts.
MEP Tineke Strik, shadow rapporteur for the Commission’s 2025 report on Albania, comments: “Albania’s future lies in the EU. The EU enlargement process must go hand in hand with continued progress on strong environmental safeguards, the rule of law, the fight against corruption, and transparency. This report largely reflects those priorities. “Our group shares the protesters’ concerns about the Vjosa Narta area. We successfully included a call in the report for the Albanian authorities to immediately pause all new interventions in protected areas until Albania’s legal framework fully aligns with European environmental standards.
“Albania’s citizens will decide the country’s future, not Trump-loving US billionaires. That future should be built on the protection of its natural treasures, not on short-term profits at the expense of biodiversity and local communities. The flamingo protest shows that citizens care about protecting the environment and joining the EU. We will stand with them, supporting their protest against Trump allies who exploit their natural heritage and supporting their journey towards the EU.”
MEP Tineke Strik will lead a Greens/EFA mission to Albania, including the Vjosa-Narta protected area landscape, with MEPs Cristina Guarda, Vicent Marzà i Ibáñez, Daniel Freund, Jutta Paulus and Anna Strolenberg (Volt) from 29 June to 1 July. There will be additional information soon.
