"It has achieved results"/ EC evaluates SPAK, reservations for Courts of Appeal and First Instance

2023-11-08 08:30:00, Aktualitet CNA

"It has achieved results"/ EC evaluates SPAK, reservations for Courts

European Commission

The European Commission has issued a Progress Report for Albania, which, among other things, talks about the work of justice and law enforcement institutions.

EC mentions the work of SPAK, which it says has achieved results.

As for the Courts of Appeal and First Instance, the Commission notes that they have a large number of unresolved files and an increased workload, leading to the extension of the deadlines of the procedures.

Progres EC looks at addressing judicial vacancies through the swearing in of 40 new magistrates in October.

"The implementation of the justice reform continued, resulting in good progress overall. Appointments to the Constitutional Court have ended with all nine judges in office, eight of whom have a full 9-year term. SPAK achieved further results and the new chief special prosecutor was elected in December 2022 after a sound process. The efficiency of the judicial system and access to justice continued to be affected by the long duration of proceedings, the increased workload and the large number of pending cases, which remains particularly high in the Courts of Appeal and First Instance. Progress has been made in addressing judicial vacancies through the swearing in of 40 new magistrates in October 2023. The interim evaluation of all judges and prosecutors (vetting process) has continued to proceed at a satisfactory pace. Until October 6, 57% of the vetting files processed resulted in dismissals, resignations or terminations of the mandate", states the Progress Report.

Furthermore, the EC demands more commitment from the authorities for the alignment of laws with the EU and more strikes against organized crime and corruption.

"Despite some progress and ongoing efforts in the fight against corruption, including a number of high-profile convictions and high-profile financial investigations, it still remains an area of ??serious concern. In general, corruption is widespread in many areas of public and business life and the measures to prevent it continue to have a limited impact, especially in vulnerable sectors", the European Commission emphasizes./ CNA