TIRANA, August 31 – Albania has taken a new technical and administrative step toward European Union integration. The Ministry of Finance has drafted a bill on Albania’s national contribution to the European Union budget. The bill would establish the legal framework for calculating, planning and paying Albania’s financial obligations after full membership.

The initiative responds directly to Chapter 33 of the accession negotiations, known as Financial and Budgetary Provisions. The Ministry of Finance says Albania currently lacks a horizontal legal framework to coordinate institutions involved in this process. The bill aims to prepare state institutions to apply European Union rules on Own Resources and reduce the risk of financial corrections, penalties or late-payment interest caused by inaccurate reporting.

The 22-article bill assigns the Ministry of Finance the role of National Coordinating Authority. It also requires close cooperation with the Institute of Statistics, the General Directorate of Customs, the General Directorate of Taxes and the ministry responsible for the environment. The legislation would also establish a National Database for European Union Own Resources to ensure unified, traceable statistical and customs data.

According to Finance Minister Petrit Malaj, the pre-accession phase will not create direct financial costs for citizens. Existing institutional budgets and European Union pre-accession assistance would cover system upgrades and staff training. Albania would begin actual contributions to the common European budget only after it becomes a full European Union member.

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