OSCE Presence in Albania

Since 2003, the Presence has implemented technical-assistance projects to assist the Government of Albania in achieving the property reform necessary for a productive land market. The Presence works closely with government institutions, providing expertise on the registration of immovable property, as well as on the restitution and compensation process. It provides the government with comments on proposed property-related legislation and strategies, monitors the implementation of this legislation and co-ordinates its work with the international community.

The Presence’s tailored technical assistance places special emphasis on assisting the government in developing policies that guarantee the status of property under civil law, simplifying property transactions, and allowing a fully functional land market as an agent of sustainable economic development. The Presence supports central property-related agencies, as well as regional and local governments in defining plans and procedures to more efficiently carry out their tasks under the law to provide secure land titles, reduce property disputes, and produce territorial plans. Support is provided, inter alia, to the Immovable Property Registration Office, the Property Restitution and Compensation Agency, the Government Land Commission, and other bodies, to ensure fair, transparent, and efficient procedures. The Presence also assists central authorities and local governments in developing sustainable territorial plans, taking into account the competing interests of stakeholders to find practical solutions.