EU Integration/ Manja: From the government to the committees, we must be united

2026-01-16 15:19:00, Politikë CNA

At the meeting of the SP parliamentary group, the chairman of the Laws Committee, Ulsi Manja, praised the work done during the parliamentary session, emphasizing that this committee has handled the largest volume of work in the Assembly.

According to Manja, 30 meetings were held during the session, with over 86 hours of work, 38 laws, 8 draft decisions and 70 amendments were addressed, which significantly improved the quality of the draft laws. He thanked the committee members for their maximum commitment and full participation in each meeting.

Manja also praised the standard of government representation in committees, emphasizing that in most cases discussions have taken place at the ministerial level, which according to him guarantees seriousness and political responsibility.

Speaking about the future, Manja underlined that until February 27, 2026, the Laws Committee faces an agenda burdened with the adoption of a normative act, 9 agreements and 38 draft laws, most of which are directly related to the process of integration into the European Union.

He stressed the need for close coordination between the government, negotiators and the Parliament, demanding that rapporteurs, ministers and committee chairs be in constant communication about the progress of the process. “We must be 'on call' at all times, as this crucial process for European integration requires,” Manja said.

"A thank you to the entire team of the Socialist Party, the assembly, the government, for a successful but also light-hearted parliamentary session. Of course, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Public Administration for the session we left behind has built its work on three pillars that belong to the three functions of the Assembly of Albania, which is the legislative process, the process of parliamentary oversight and control and the process of the appointing functions of the Assembly of Albania. I believe that it is the assembly, it is the committee that, in addition to other colleagues, has coped with the greatest volume of work in this parliamentary session.

30 meetings, 5170 minutes converted into minutes or 86 hours of work. 38 laws treated, of which 6 responsible committees, 32 for giving opinions and 8 draft decisions in which in 8 of them we were the responsible committee. And 70 amendments, added value for the draft laws that we have passed in committee. Therefore, I have a special thank you to my 8 colleagues of the law committee, but also to two who are permanent but also to two substitute colleagues of the committee who have coped with this volume of work and who have not been absent from any committee meeting, so we have been formatted in every committee meeting.

I also want to thank the standard that is already established in the Albanian Parliament, in our committees, the Prime Minister also said a little bit that representation should be at the ministerial and deputy ministerial level, at least in the discussion in principle and the approval in principle of the draft law that is an expression of the political will of this majority. In the Laws Committee, in 90% of cases the representation has been at the ministerial level, but there have also been cases due to the non-coordination of schedules with other committees that the representation has been at the deputy ministerial level and I, as the chairman of the committee, am satisfied with this past session.

I do not want to dwell on the work that has been lost, but in the context of integration, what awaits our committee. By the program of February 27, 2026, my colleagues on the Laws Committee must prepare, we are awaiting the adoption of a normative act, 9 agreements and 38 draft laws that will have to be passed by February 27, 2026, where most of these draft laws are entirely related to the process of integration into the European Union.

Now how do I think about this process? Structured, our negotiators discuss with Brussels, we have two of our ministers there negotiating with Brussels, the government of course coordinates the entire process, the Albanian Parliament, we are where the draft laws will have to be passed. Now I think that every minister but also the government will have to have in hand the list of rapporteurs of each committee responsible for draft laws related to integration. But also for other draft laws, so the list of our rapporteurs in the committees will have to be in the hands of each of the government colleagues.

Now this is how the process is built, the negotiators, the rapporteurs, the committee chairs. But we have to be as those in Brussels say because they like to use these foreign words, the most foreign word that comes to mind is on call. They have to be on call. And our negotiators, Adea and Majlinda, our rapporteurs in the relevant committees that receive the draft laws, there is nothing wrong with being constantly in contact with each other on call for the progress and dynamics of a draft law. It is like doctors in the emergency room staying non-stop with the hospital and with the patients on call, in this process that we have entered that the prime minister says until 2027 we must carry out our duties, and we are also a team.

Now we need the ministers, the government, the rapporteurs, the committee chairs to be of one mind. That's all. And here, of course, I also have a thank you to all my colleagues who lead the committees, but also for the excellent cooperation we have had: Speaker of the Assembly, parliamentary group, committee. And I wish it to be the same cooperation. I have these and may it all go well for all of us", said Manja./ CNA