Albania is ignoring key elements of Bern Convention Recommendation regarding Vjosa river and Vlora International Airport.
The international airport in Vlora is under water following heavy rainfall in recent weeks. Despite international criticism, construction work continues in the middle of the wetland.
© Arsen RroshiRadolfzell. For the third year in a row, the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention has called on the Albanian government to stop the construction of the Vlora International Airport in the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape. During their annual meeting in Strasbourg last week, the Standing Committee of the Convention “expressed again its strong regret that point 1 of Recommendation No. 219 (2023), requesting the suspension of construction of the Vlora International Airport pending the completion of a new and sufficient Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and appropriate assessment, was not implemented.”
EuroNatur and its Albanian partner organisations PPNEA and EcoAlbania were present at the meeting, stating their case, and welcomed the clear statement of the Standing Committee about the suspension of the airport construction. At the same time the environmental groups miss a request of the Standing Committee that the Albanian government repeals the amended Law on Protected Areas which wiped out legal safeguards in Albania’s protected areas by allowing construction and exploitation for tourism and large infrastructure inside protected areas.
Viktor Berishaj, Senior Policy Officer at EuroNatur stresses: „The Standing Committee has once again confirmed that Albania must complete a proper environmental impact assessment before the Vlora airport can be considered compliant. Mitigation cannot replace prevention, especially in a river and wetland system as exceptional as the Vjosa–Narta.“
„The Recommendation 219 of the Standing Committee remains the roadmap. Fully implementing it would not only protect the Vjosa-Narta Protected Landscape but also bring Albania closer to the EU. An on-the-site appraisal in 2026 is essential to verify facts on the ground and restore trust in the process,” states Gabriel Schwaderer, Executive Director at EuroNatur.
Background information:
• The Vjosa-Narta protected area is one of the most important ecosystems in Albania, the second most important wetland in Albania and home to rare animal and plant species. The area is home to more than 220 bird species throughout the year and is of trans-regional importance for the Adriatic Flyway. In March 2023, the Vjosa was declared Europe's first wild river national park and placed under protection by the Albanian government.
• The Bern Convention has repeatedly called on the Albanian government to stop the construction of the Vlora airport. It referred to the Vjosa-Narta protected area and its surroundings as “a sanctuary for migratory birds, waterfowl and other rare species that breed on land (...) and [that the members of the Bern Convention Standing Committee] are aware of the foreseeable ecological impact of the airport project on this unique natural treasure.” The European Parliament and the European Commission have also strongly criticized the construction of the airport in the past and called on the Albanian government to stop this environmentally damaging project.
• EuroNatur published the attached statement on the Conclusions of the 45th Standing Committee of the Bern Convention of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats.