PM – Level Regional Roundtable - From Property to Progress

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:02]Your Excellency Prime Minister, distinguished representatives of the European Union delegation, Council of Europe, dear colleagues from cadastral institution, it's my pleasure and honor to welcome you in this regional conference in Tirana.

[00:00:18]Uh we are gathered here today from different countries, different legal traditions, and different institutional histories. However, what brings us together are the shared challenges and uh common beliefs, and it is precisely these that give real purpose to this conference.

[00:00:38]Uh for many years across our region, property has been a source of uncertainty.

[00:00:45]Outdated maps, incomplete archives, disconnected system, overlapping ownership claims, unformalized property rights were not simply technical shortcomings.

[00:00:57]They were and still are at good extent real obstacles in people's lives, and of course huge challenges in the effective implementation of governmental initiatives.

[00:01:11]A family unable to register an inherited home, an investor unable to verify ownership before committing capital, a municipality, a ministry, a state agency without reliable data for territorial uh territorial planning or for implementing important state reform.

[00:01:31]When we talk about digital transformation of the cadastre, we are not talking about technology for its own sake. We are talking about citizens who no longer have to question whether their rights are protected, about professionals who can access reliable data without delays, we are uh about investors who can make decisions with confidence.

[00:01:55]And we are talking about the state who can plan its territory, manage its resources, and govern its land on the basis of accurate data and informed decisions, and not approximations or assumptions.

[00:02:10]These are the true value of cadastral transformation.

[00:02:15]Albania has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years, and the numbers speak for themselves.

[00:02:22]In 2025, foreign direct investments in Albania reached approximately 1.6 billion euros. More than a third of that amount was invested in real estates.

[00:02:35]Non-resident property purchases increases from 50% of all transaction in the first half of 2025 to 25% in the second half of the year, which is a remarkable shift within only 12 months. Perhaps even more telling is who is buying. 71% of these buyers are citizens of EU member states.

[00:03:01]This is not coincidence. It's a reflection of confidence, confidence in Albania's stability and its European future.

[00:03:10]It's also a reflection of growing trust in country's property system, legal security, protection of property rights, which are the foundations essential for long-term investments and sustainable economic development. A secure and reliable cadastre is not only public administration achievement, it's a powerful economic signal and the market is responding to it.

[00:03:38]For the State Cadastre Agency of Albania, this conference come at a very important moment. We are moving from a phase where modernization digitalization was seen mainly as a modernization effort to a phase where digital cadastre is becoming the normal way our institution functions.

[00:03:57]It's a new operational model, a permanent transformation in how we work, how we provide services, and how we build transparency, efficiency, and public trust.

[00:04:09]And this transformation is already well underway. Today, all cadastre services in Albania are provided online, while several of them are already fully automated. Around 50% of our daily applications are processed automatically in real time. We are also completing the digitalization of our entire property archive within this year.

[00:04:34]At the same time, we are working to complete the first registration of property across the entire territory of Albania by 2027, helping bring legal recognition to properties that for many years existed outside the official cadastre system.

[00:04:52]Of course, we are fully aware that significant challenges remain.

[00:04:57]The history of property rights in Albania is complex, and digital transformation alone cannot solve every issue overnight. But we are addressing these challenges with determination and with a clear understanding that strong, reliable, and digital land administration system are essential not only for economic development, but also for Albania European membership in the European Union.

[00:05:24]However, no digital reform can succeed without people. The State Cadastre Agency is investing in systems, but equally in the people who operate them.

[00:05:35]Our engineers, lawyers, registers, IT specialists, archives team are the one carrying this transformation every single day.

[00:05:44]And we must be also honest. Digital transformation in Cadastre places uh significant pressure on human resources. It requires staff to work simultaneously with all documents and new digital platforms to resolve inherited problems while maintaining daily services and to process a high volume of applications while continuously adopting to new procedure, business processes, and technologies.

[00:06:14]This is why strengthening internal capacities is not a secondary issue.

[00:06:19]It's in fact central to the success of the digital reform.

[00:06:24]Another important lesson we have learned is that reform must be communicated.

[00:06:30]With the support of the Council of Europe, the agency has developed a communication strategy focused on transparency, information, and strengthening the relationship with the citizens. Over the past year, the agency has organized more than 20 public round table alongside information campaigns and and targeted communication for specific processes.

[00:06:53]This is only This is not just public relations. It's more than that. It's good governance.

[00:06:59]A citizen who understands the process is more likely to trust it. A professional who understands the standard is better equipped to apply them. And an institution that communicates becomes more transparent, more accountable, and of course more credible.

[00:07:15]But none of this has been achieved alone. The support of the European Union has been essential not only through financial assistance, but also through a technical expertise, institutional guidance, and continued support in helping us move closer to the European standards.

[00:07:33]Our partnership with the Council of Europe has also played an important role in strengthening institutional communication and transparency.

[00:07:42]This conference that is co-organized by our institution is also part of this cooperation.

[00:07:48]At the same time, our collaboration with notaries, surveyors, municipalities, and other state institutions has reinforced an important reality, cadastral reform is not an isolated process.

[00:08:03]It requires, of course, coordination, trust, cooperation between all actors which are involved in the property system.

[00:08:12]To all our partners, thank you. Your support matters, and it shows in the results.

[00:08:18]Dear colleagues, this conference is an opportunity not only to present national achievements, but in fact to something more valuable, to listen, to exchange experiences, and to learn from one another. Each of our countries has developed practices, expertise, and lessons worth sharing.

[00:08:38]Some have advancing further uh digital services, others in legal harmonization, geospatial infrastructure, data quality, and that is precisely why gatherings like these are important. We don't need to face the same challenges separately when we can learn from one another and move forward together.

[00:09:02]In many ways, the questions we face across our region are similar.

[00:09:08]How do we improve the accuracy and reliability of the property data? How do we reduce administrative delays without compromising legal certainty? How do we strengthen public trust in cadastral records? And how do we ensure that digital transformation creates real value for the citizens rather than simply producing more sophisticated of the same old bureaucracy?

[00:09:34]The future of cadastral system will increasingly involve artificial intelligence, geospatial intelligence, real-time services, and integrated digital registers. These technologies are no longer theoretical or distant realities.

[00:09:52]They are already beginning to reshape the way we work.

[00:09:56]But technology will only create value if the underlying data is reliable, if procedures are clear, and the institutions are capable of managing this system with integrity and effectiveness.

[00:10:11]This is why our priorities remain unchanged, completing the digital foundation, improving data quality, automating where possible, investing in people, and aligning fully with the European standards.

[00:10:27]Because the true purpose of this transformation is to build systems that citizens can trust and future generation can rely on. Thank you.

[00:10:36]Uh now it's my honor to invite His Excellency the Prime Minister, Mr. Edi Rama, for his welcoming remarks.

[00:10:47]Thank you so much for uh being here and uh thank you for uh having the patience in advance uh to endure my speech also. Uh I first of all want to say that um this uh important conference uh related to a very uh sensitive topic uh for everyone, but especially for us in Albania, um coincides with a very important moment, uh which is uh the end of the first phase of Albania's negotiations with the European Union and the start of the new phase.

[00:11:43]We opened all chapters and now with interim benchmarks set, we enter the phase of starting to close the chapters.

[00:11:57]And as you may be well aware, um, the uh, fulfillment of the interim benchmarks by Albania and uh, uh, the setting of the closing benchmarks is very crucial, especially for the cluster of fundamentals, which includes also chapter 23, which is about judiciary and fundamental rights, and the right of property is part of this precise chapter.

[00:12:37]Uh, in Albania's EU integration process, the success of the digital transformation uh, is a defining uh, line about the speed of our progress.

[00:12:59]And um, I must say that for countries like ours, uh, what has come with new technology is a true bless, because it allows us to uh, make jumps that otherwise would have been impossible. It allows us to uh, look into future with a totally different spirits and uh, uh it allows us to take all the advantages from passing uh from the era of linear progress to the era of exponential progress.

[00:13:43]And um we have seen it and with all the benefits >> [snorts] >> uh in many aspects.

[00:13:52]And we want to make the best out of it when it comes to uh the very complex issue of property in Albania.

[00:14:03]I don't think there is another country uh in this part of the world and not even in this region of ours uh where the property rights have been put so much under stress in the in the last 35 years we have had to deal with such a complex uh material that is really uh is really a most >> [snorts] >> and the deepest challenge we we had to face.

[00:14:43]Because passing from totally nationalized uh uh country where property private property was not allowed and where even a private car was not uh possible to be to be dreamt of to a situation in which we lost the state lost every control on the territory and uh uh an enormous demographic boom after the fall of the communist regime defined also how the territory was shaped, how the property uh was was conceived uh because uh while we had uh the old owners uh thinking uh that their time came with freedom and that their properties will be uh back to them. Uh um We had also to uh face uh full immersion uh assault on on land and an incredible number of uh developments that were practically the new layer of ownership coming not through uh legitimate titles of the past, but through uh through uh land occupation.

[00:16:22]And uh more than that although by some very mysterious reasons uh the communist regime did not burn the um property uh archives, but kept them very very uh safe.

[00:16:47]Uh what happened with the archives in the night This was an absolute uh disaster and uh uh and so we we we inherited another layer of ownership, which is the layer of falsified property titles. So, uh uh So, now uh bringing order to all of this uh is uh really a an incredible challenge and and it has to do with uh very very tricky and painful compromises because it's not possible to look for a clean sheet in one way or and on top of it we had a judiciary that was so much involved in messing it up that we lost incredible amounts of land that belonged to the state and belonged to the public by by decisions of of courts that are absolutely incredible mesmerizing in their absurdity.

[00:18:16]I don't think there is another another country where you can find court decisions that give to the to give to the complainer more than he's asking.

[00:18:28]So can you imagine someone going to ask back five hectares and getting 200 from the court.

[00:18:39]And it's very obvious how and why.

[00:18:42]So we had to go through new legislation which which has been complicated also because a decision that I think was was was a good decision that was one of the very few decisions that the parliament in the 90s in the beginning of the 90s took consensually to give to all the farmers a paper of land use turned to be a turned to be another path of abuse because from land use it went to land to land appropriation.

[00:19:32]And we have seen we have seen beaches appropriated. We have seen sea being appropriated. I don't think in your experience you have seen anything like that in the cadastre of a country sea owners parcels on the sea.

[00:19:58]So we we went through a new legislation. We worked very closely with with diligent partners.

[00:20:09]And we also got a green light from the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg about this about our new approach. But still today we have to face problems because judges some judges have decided that they can rule today with based on laws that were yesterday.

[00:20:38]So the new law in place for for compensation uh can be can be bypassed.

[00:20:49]And court decisions that create an overburden on the state finances can be can be can happen even today.

[00:21:02]So it's it's quite a complicated thing and I'm not complaining. I'm just sharing you know, an experience uh choosing the the not easy path to you with how beautiful everything is going in our country.

[00:21:25]But honoring you as guests with some entertainment instead of some boring uh speech.

[00:21:34]So it's very entertaining frankly when you look it from outside.

[00:21:40]Uh it's a never-ending complicated soap opera.

[00:21:45]But we didn't give up. We are working hard and uh I think the new technology is helping us a lot to address what otherwise would have been absolutely impossible to be addressed.

[00:22:03]You know, uh you may think it's an exaggeration but it's a it's a literal episodes of the real life in Albania that working with maps that were that were opened and closed open and closed open and closed many times.

[00:22:23]Uh someone had to to be a victim of open and close open and close because one court ruled that uh the property or the claims was in in the hole of the map where the edge was opening and closing so many times that created a hole.

[00:22:46]So imagine to have a court decision that says your fortune is in a hole and you cannot get it. But it's there.

[00:22:57]Um for the rest I'm sure you'll hear a lot of technicalities about how we are trying to address all these issues.

[00:23:07]But I will conclude by by one one line that the general director mentioned in her opening remarks, which is about the integrity of the data you use because at the end yes, new technology, artificial intelligence can do miracles.

[00:23:37]But can also bring you towards towards another deadlock if the data are not correct.

[00:23:49]So, this is a big challenge to feed the model with the right data and to give to the model all the capability to give you back what you are what you are looking for.

[00:24:04]So, yeah, I have written speech here that you don't want to listen. I I'm sure, you know, the European state is built with this and that and that.

[00:24:16]It's really a very very difficult exercise. It's the most difficult part of our work, negotiation process and of our state building process.

[00:24:27]But I think it's coming it's coming slowly but steadily to an end.

[00:24:34]And I think that with a full digitalization that is now close to be concluded and with with the blockchain that will be used will save whatever can be saved after so many years of of you know occupiers of all sorts getting in the in the land the property realm of our country.

[00:25:15]So I very much praise the help and the efforts of our partners.

[00:25:23]European Union first and foremost which has been graciously considering our our demand to help this process in the cadastre and now with the EU help we are doing something which works and works very very very very good. So we'll we'll conclude that hopefully while the rest of of partners have provided very good advice and we are thankful also to them.

[00:26:08]And I want to thank also some of the people I recognize in this table from our side that each and everyone in his or her position has done the right things and is doing the right things. So soon we'll come up with the reform of the agency.

[00:26:30]We will bring together more tasks under one umbrella because having having separate agencies has not helped the the process because going each one in its own direction has created more confusion and has brought more more troubles.

[00:26:57]Now, I think we have a good idea about how to to reshape the the the property uh administration from A to Z with a with a merge of several agencies.

[00:27:18]And the rest is just keep going and do the do the work. And we have the blessing the curse to to have a tutor.

[00:27:35]It's called EU and uh who tells us, "This is good. This is bad.

[00:27:42]You've done good. You've not done so well. So, keep going. Do this. Do that."

[00:27:48]Which is a which is a big help.

[00:27:51]And before coming here, I was with uh with the Central Bank Governor of Austria and we were talking about that and we were talking about the European Union and uh I said, "Listen, uh the European Union is is something you can complain the whole day.

[00:28:13]But with the European Union one thing is sure.

[00:28:19]At night, you will not have nightmares.

[00:28:22]If you if you choose another path, during the day you might feel more free, but at night you'll have nightmares.

[00:28:32]So, there is no alternative to the European Union in my view.

[00:28:36]Uh there is no plan B. There is no plan C.

[00:28:40]It's the right place to be.

[00:28:42]Of course, you know, it's uh it's a place of people and uh by definition it cannot be paradise, but it still is uh is with no alternative.

[00:28:56]And uh we are we are thankful for that. Thank you.

[00:29:03]Uh thank you, Prime Minister. Uh now it's my pleasure to invite the co-organizer of this conference, Ms. Julia Head of Council of Europe Office in Tirana.

[00:29:14]And with your permission, I want to leave because the European Union is waiting for me. Thank you so much and uh I let you continue in peace.

[00:29:24]And I hope I was not boring. Thank you.

[00:29:28]Welcome also on on behalf of the Council of Europe.

[00:29:32]Um Director General Gojkovič Lorena, dear Mr. Ritsos, dear colleagues, uh dear guests, uh it's it's an honor to welcome you uh today to this regional round table.

[00:29:44]The General Director mentioned it already, but your presence here today is a testament of our shared commitment towards strengthening legal certainty, modernizing public administration, advancing digitalization, but most importantly, ensuring that our citizens continue to place their trust in the institutions that serve them. So, these are all challenges for for the region.

[00:30:08]It has been mentioned already, but it's very true. Property is not simply technical or administrative.

[00:30:14]At its core, property is about people.

[00:30:16]It's about providing families with certainty and stability in their homes, upholding the principles of inheritance and dignity, but also sense of belonging anchored in legal rights.

[00:30:28]The security of property rights is a central human right. So, when citizens hold property titles, it's not just a document they have in their hands, but it's a guarantee of legal certainty and personal security.

[00:30:42]Often marking the conclusion of maybe a long period of uncertainty or complex pro- processes, bureaucracy, even struggles sometimes.

[00:30:52]This is why the European Union and the Council of Europe together have invested so strongly in supporting ambitious reforms in Albania in the field of property rights, the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, but also in strengthening the work of the State Cadastre Agency of Albania.

[00:31:10]Our efforts in partnership with the Cadastre extends beyond um legal and institutional reform. We have worked to bring the institutions closer to the citizens, understanding that the true measure of progress lies in reforms that are accessible, understandable, but also impactful in the daily lives of people, that people can feel the difference.

[00:31:33]So, I'm particularly proud, and Lorena mentioned them, of our audio-visual awareness campaign, uh providing citizens across Albania accessible information about crucial procedures in just a few clicks.

[00:31:48]I also wish to mention the helpline of the Tirana Legal Aid Society supported by our action um The helpline has provided over 2,700 citizens with legal aid, guidance, and support regarding property issues. And these are not just numbers. Behind these numbers, there are individuals, families, or someone seeking not just for a solution, but certainty and recognitions of rightful claims. So, this is the larger purpose behind these reforms.

[00:32:21]And for Albania and for Western Balkans candidate countries, reforms relating to property rights, effective remedies, legal certainty, transparency, and also the execution of the Strasbourg judgments are vital elements on the path to European Union. So, reliable, transparent property systems not only strengthen the rule of law, it has been mentioned they bolster economic development and they reinforce social stability.

[00:32:47]And also digitalization, of course, plays a crucial role.

[00:32:50]And it is about expediting services, but also make them more transparent and more accessible, reducing uncertainty, increasing traceability.

[00:33:01]But most importantly, they can really help ensure that institutions serve citizens more equally and more effectively.

[00:33:08]So, today's uh regional dialogue is valuable in that.

[00:33:12]The Western Balkans and the neighbors have much to learn from one another, and through such cooperation and institutional partnerships, we strengthen not only administrative systems, but also our shared European democratic space.

[00:33:27]And to conclude, I want to mention uh Secretary General of the Council of Europe has recently emphasized that Europe's enduring stability must rest on the force of rules, not on the rule of force. And in your daily work, we believe you embody this principle. The real success of the cadastral reform goes beyond systems and legislation. It is ultimately reflected in the confidence of every citizen in approaching the institutions and in saying, "This is my home, these are my rights, and I'm I know they are protected."

[00:33:58]Thank you. Thank you very much, uh Lorena, especially for the great cooperation, but also all of you, distinguished guests. Uh I wish you a productive uh round table. Thank you very much.

[00:34:11]Thank you, Julia. Council of Europe is a very close uh partners, and we truly appreciate the partnership. Thank you.

[00:34:20]Uh and now it's my pleasure to invite the Chargé d'Affaires of the European Union Delegation, Mr. Ritzel, for his opening remarks.

[00:34:30]Thank you, uh Ms. Koçobelli. Uh And I would like to like to welcome Ms. Julia Re to this distinguished panel today. This is really an honor to be here to address you on behalf of the EU delegation.

[00:34:46]And I would like to first start by echoing some of the words of the Prime Minister in terms of how important this subject is for us in terms of the accession process. As the Prime Minister mentioned, this is an integral part of the fundamentals cluster.

[00:35:06]And indeed, we are at a very important crossroads currently in the negotiation process.

[00:35:12]And I think that also the the scale of the challenge that the Prime Minister outlined is truly quite quite big here in Albania. And therefore, that is also why we highly value this type of of initiative today, which brings together peer cadastral institutions from across the region to exchange practices, achievements, and challenges.

[00:35:39]Um Cadastral reform remains a cornerstone of good governance, and this is obviously very important to ensure transparency and legal certainty in property rights and transactions, to improve the quality and efficiency of public services, to reduce the risks of mismanagement, and also to foster a more dynamic real estate market and an enabling environment for investment.

[00:36:11]The modernization of the cadastral system contributes directly to a stronger economy and a more prosperous society.

[00:36:19]But this is not only a an issue with a an issue of a national priority. It is also important in terms of future EU membership and for some of the countries here today, this is obviously particularly particularly relevant.

[00:36:36]In fact, it features in all the frameworks that guide partnerships and accession negotiations and in the reform agendas under the growth plan for the Western Balkans.

[00:36:47]Across the region, we recognize that the legacy of past systems, particularly the transition from communist regimes to democratic governance, has created long-lasting challenges in maintaining accurate statistical uh cadastral, sorry, data and properly recording um property transactions.

[00:37:11]Over the past three decades, countries have made considerable efforts to address these issues, often often facing similar constraints, but also developing distinct approaches and solutions.

[00:37:25]And Albania reflects many of these regional dynamics.

[00:37:31]The process of identifying and registering properties and ownership has been particularly complex and has been shaped by incomplete or inconsistent historical records, as the Prime Minister mentioned, rapid demographic shifts, evolving legal frameworks, and different measurement approaches used over time.

[00:37:53]Over the years, many plots of land and buildings remained unregistered.

[00:37:58]Records were not kept uh on paper or, sorry, were kept on paper and then the data often did not match the situation on the ground.

[00:38:08]Unclear ownership and overlapping property boundaries have resulted in citizens being deprived of basic cadastral services, such as registration of properties or transactions.

[00:38:20]In response, the EU and Albania have recently strengthened their cooperation to tackle these challenges together and focus on a number of things.

[00:38:30]Accelerating property registration, advancing digitalization, making sure that records match with the reality with the reality on the ground, streamlining administrative procedures, enhancing integrity, and strengthening communication with the public.

[00:38:50]And all these are based on comprehensive methodologies and in line with international standards.

[00:38:58]To support these efforts, the EU put in place substantial programs that combine international and local expertise.

[00:39:07]And here I would like to highlight our partnerships with organizations such as UNOPS and the Council of Europe.

[00:39:14]At the same time, for Albania, clear targets have been established within the accession process and reform to further drive and sustain progress.

[00:39:25]Recently, we have been encouraged to see that the State Cadastre Agency, under its current leadership, intensified efforts, particularly in improving property records, data quality, and service delivery, while at the same time strengthening engagement with key stakeholders.

[00:39:44]We have We have witnessed key developments since 2025.

[00:39:48]The adoption and implementation of the communication strategy, the rollout of the digitalization roadmap, the adoption of the integrity plan, and notably the significant acceleration in initial property registrations, and in the digitalization of ownership records and supporting documentation compared to previous years.

[00:40:12]Despite the complexities that remain, we are confident that this is a pivotal moment to address long-standing issues.

[00:40:20]The agency's demonstrated commitment through clear strategic direction, enhanced outreach, and tangible results comes at a time when broader governmental efforts are reinforced by the perspective of EU accession, and supported by substantial financial assistance under the under the reform agenda.

[00:40:41]Our shared vision is clear, to make Albania a secure and reliable environment for property ownership and investment, and to ensure that everyone can enjoy their property rights.

[00:40:55]Against this background, this gathering today is a valuable platform for mutual learning, and an opportunity to exchange experiences on property registration processes, recent reforms, and strategic priorities, particularly in areas such as the security of title, the digital transformation, the serv- uh delivery of services, institutional trust, and inter-agency coordination.

[00:41:21]It will also be of high interest to hear how the use of modern technologies, as Mrs. Koçobelli Veliu has also mentioned, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, and advanced data analytics can help to ensure that cadastral offices can provide high-quality services to the public.

[00:41:41]So, with those words, I truly wish you a fruitful exchange uh during this conference, and I thank you all very much for your attention.

[00:41:50]Thank you, Mr. Rizzo. The support of the European Union is truly appreciated, and we hope that we'll have this strong collaboration even in the future. I'm sure we'll have this strong collaboration.

[00:42:04]Thank you.