Esmeralda Topi
Since June, municipalities have officially taken on a new role to advance the process of legalizing unauthorized constructions. The government’s decision establishes new rules for cooperation between municipalities and the State Cadastre Agency, assigning both parties a coordinating role in completing the legalization process.
Municipalities are required to establish dedicated offices with staff after signing a cooperation agreement with the Cadastre.
‘First and foremost, municipalities will set the priorities and determine the pace of the local legalization office’s work plan. The process will be led by you, with a dedicated team that you will create by September, when the process will begin,’ Prime Minister Edi Rama stated in July during a meeting with mayors and officials from the State Cadastre Agency.
The process, which was supposed to start in September, will be overseen by the Minister of State for Local Government, as both parties must report monthly on their progress.
Fact
Data obtained by Faktoje.al through the right to information law indicates that, as of October 28, 16 municipalities had not yet fulfilled their obligation to sign the agreement with the State Cadastre Agency (ASHK) by the September deadline set by the Council of Ministers’ Decision.
‘According to the information provided to the Minister of State for Local Government, about 45 local government units (LGUs) have signed the agreement with SCA and approved it in the Municipal Council,’ stated the Ministry of Local Government.
‘The other municipalities are in the process of completing this procedure,’ the ministry added, suggesting that more accurate information could be found ‘at the offices of each municipality or at the central office of SCA.’
Legalizations, the important role of municipalities
Agron Haxhimali from the Institute of Municipalities emphasizes the significance of involving municipalities in the legalization process. ‘Municipalities have continually advocated for a role in this process. The underlying goal of these changes is to expedite the process,’ he explains.
Haxhimali further adds that, beyond their coordinating responsibilities, municipalities must also exert pressure on the State Cadastre Agency. ‘The Cadastre Agency holds the monopoly on final certification for any case where they believe the file is correct and the delays are unjustified,’ he notes.
The law sets December 2028 as the deadline for completing the legalization of illegal buildings in Albania.
‘Given that nearly 240,000 properties need to be legalized across all municipalities, this raises concerns about the timely completion of the process,’ Haxhimali highlights.
‘This delay is primarily due to ongoing legal disputes over property ownership, but it’s not the only factor. This means that neither the municipalities, nor the Cadastre, nor anyone else can intervene,’ he concludes.
Conclusion
Based on the gathered information, we consider Prime Minister Edi Rama’s statement that the legalization process would be led by municipalities with a dedicated staff by September to be partially true.
