European Commission, OSCE support modernizing Albania's address and civil registration systems

TIRANA, 30 January 2007 - The Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Albania, Ambassador Helmuth Lohan, and the Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania, Ambassador Pavel Vacek, inaugurated today an agreement which will assist the Albanian government in modernising its address and civil registration system.

The project, funded by the EC, the Government of the United States and the OSCE, will be implemented by the Presence in close coordination with the Council of Europe. Norway will also contribute through bilateral assistance.

The core EC-funded project is worth 2.5 million EURO. With regard to the address system, the project aims to provide expertise on improving the existing legal framework, strengthening its implementation as well as offer technical assistance on managing it.

On the civil registry, the work will focus on modernising the Albanian civil registry system, including the computerisation of fundamental registers' data. It will improve the legal framework, in particular the personal data protection framework, and will provide assistance on how to administer the new system.

"The outcomes of this project are essential to the government for any reform needed in sectors such as health, taxation, social security, free movement of people, education, and the postal and military services," said Ambassador Helmuth Lohan.

Until now Albania has lacked a reliable system of administrative addresses and civil registration. The project is planned to start in February 2007 and be completed by 31 October 2009.

""This is a joint effort to assist Albania with building a reliable address system and civil registry which are crucial tools not only for state administration but also for holding elections according to international standards," added Ambassador Vacek.

Albanian Deputy Prime Minister, Ilir Rusmali, Deputy Interior Minister, Ferdinand Poni, as well as representatives of the contributors to the project took part in the event.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the OSCE Presence and the Albanian Interior Ministry on the project implementation.

The project is made possible thanks to contributions from the EU through its CARDS 2004 National Programme for Albania, the Government of the United States and the OSCE Presence in Albania, which will implement the project.

Previously, the EU has provided support through its 2003 CARDS Project "Implementing a National System of Administrative Addresses in Albania" that recommended practical steps to establish a new administrative address system.

The OSCE Presence has previously assisted Albanian authorities with voter and civil registration.