Four Albanian associations of local government, in cooperation and with the direct support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, organised four regional meetings “Round Table of Local Authorities for a new Law on the Organisation and Functioning of Local Government” from 20 to 27 march 2015 in the cities of Shkodra, Fieri, Kamza and Elbasan in the framework of the project Strengthening Local Government Structures and Cooperation of Local elected representatives in Albania (2012-2015), implemented by the Council of Europe and financed by the Swiss Development and Co-operation Agency (SDC).
The meetings brought together about 150 mayors and other local representatives of Albanian municipalities, communes and regions of various political affiliations from all over the country to develop a process of dialogue among them on selected local government issues as well as to contribute to the upcoming legislative processes of the decentralisation reform.
Issues and common concerns of particular importance to local governance and Albanian citizens such as water and sewage management, waste collection and disposal, urban planning and territorial control, pre-university education, organisation of the new administrative units (after local elections of 21 June 2015), etc., were deliberated in a constructive and de-politicised manner and common positions were found. Several suggestions and proposals were made for solving the problems through the upcoming legislative process based on their experience of implementation of the existing legislation.
The meetings had a pluralistic participation and were organised on a rotation basis and inter-coordinated by each of the four local government associations: the Albanian Association of Municipalities, the Association for Local Autonomy of Albania, the Albanian Association of Communes and the Albanian Association of Regions. The events mark an important precedent of concerted action of all associations of local government in Albania against a background of settled political divide since years.
A conclusive event was organized by the CoE/Congress with a limited number of representatives of the four associations was held in Tirana on 1st April 2015. The meeting took stock of the common views and proposals made during the regional meetings and determined further steps for addressing them with the central authorities. A common conclusive report of the associations was prepared and shared with the Government and the Parliament of Albania, as well as other important stakeholders, in an effort to influence the upcoming process of law drafting.