Back Albanian probation professionals pave the way for stronger professional development

Albanian probation professionals pave the way for stronger professional development

Probation professionals from across Albania have identified key steps to strengthen the capacity-building system of the Probation Service, including induction, continuous training and the development of internal expertise to support more effective rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders.

Twenty representatives of the Albanian Probation Service and all regional probation offices reviewed the findings of a comprehensive capacity-building needs assessment carried out by the European Union and the Council of Europe at the request of the institution. The assessment analysed the legal and institutional framework governing probation staff development in Albania and drew on an online staff survey completed by 44 probation officers and managers, as well as five follow-up interviews with practitioners, office directors, and the central inspectorate. The findings highlighted the need to further strengthen probation-specific induction and continuous professional development, establish a sustainable pool of in-house trainers and develop structured intervention programmes for violent extremist offenders and other offenders vulnerable to radicalisation.

Participants agreed that these measures will contribute to a more effective, practice-oriented and sustainable capacity-building system for the Albanian Probation Service.

The Training needs assessment and subsequent presentation were organised by the regional Action "Enhancing co-operation in the Western Balkans in the managing violent extremism in prisons and preventing further radicalisation after release", implemented within the framework of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

Tirana, Albania 2 September 2026
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What is the Horizontal Facility?

The joint European Union/Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative and one of the results of the Statement of Intent signed on 1 April 2014 by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, in which both Organisations agreed to further strengthen their co-operation in key areas of joint interest.

The programme is ongoing since 2016 and the third phase begun in January 2023 for a period of 48 months. The third phase of the programme (worth €41 million (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE) keeps building on the results of the previous phases and it combines Beneficiary-specific and regional actions.

It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

Themes covered by the Horizontal Facility include:

  • strengthening justice
  • fighting corruption, economic crime and money laundering
  • promoting anti-discrimination and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups (including LGBTI, minorities and Roma) and
  • promoting and protecting freedom of expression and media

The Expertise Co-ordination Mechanism that provides legislative expertise and policy advice within the Council of Europe system remains also an important part of the programme available to all Beneficiaries.

The Horizontal Facility relies on the Council of Europe’s unique working methods, whereby tailor-made technical co-operation activities are based on conclusions and recommendations of the Council of Europe’s monitoring bodies highlight areas where improvements are needed in legislation and policies of the Beneficiaries to comply with the Organisation’s treaties and other standards.

 

Which Horizontal Facility actions are being implemented in Albania?

In Albania, the following actions are currently being implemented:

  • Strengthening the quality and efficiency of justice in Albania (SEJ IV)
  • Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III)
  • Enhancing the protection of human rights of prisoners in Albania
  • Action against economic crime in Albania
  • Advancing the protection from discrimination in Albania 
  • Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Albania (PRO-FREX-A)