TIRANA, December 8 – A new draft decision comes from the Ministry of Economy and Innovation. It plans to establish protective barriers against foreign capital that could threaten critical infrastructure, sensitive data, or media freedom.

The accompanying report explains that “the change comes as a result of the evolution of global risks.” The document highlights that cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and personal data leaks are increasingly used as “hybrid threats.”

The draft decision focuses on the media sector. The report states: “This sector must be treated with special care when receiving foreign investments. This ensures that investments do not become a source of harmful influence on society.”

Once the draft decision comes into force, two new mechanisms will act as guardians of strategic economic sectors. The first is the Council for the Review of Foreign Direct Investments, a collegial decision-making body. The second is a specialized unit within the Ministry of Economy and Innovation that analyzes investors technically.

The report emphasizes that “this initiative is also an obligation within the framework of European integration. The draft decision is part of ‘Chapter 30’ of the negotiations. It aims to align Albanian laws with Regulation (European Union) 2019/452.”

The draft decision will undergo consultation in all ministries. This includes intelligence services and financial security agencies. Afterwards, it will proceed to the government for approval.

/a.p./