Integration of Local Government through Administrative -Territorial Reform in Albania

There have been made many significant steps toward implementing reforms which lead Albanian Government to a consolidated integration process. Many challenges and obstacles have hindered this path, particularly those of a political nature, to which my country is still very sensitive. A kind of “hot spot” in all this discussion appeared to be the newest reform called “administrative territorial reform” or “decentralization process” which has already been implemented in 2015. Amongst the range of studies, consultations and amalgamate process in multi level governance,the concept of integration has been isolated from the perspective of European integration. The Albanian Government has undertaken this reform with the ad-hoc Parliamentary Committee in close coordination and cooperation with the local government units, funded by the STAR Project (Support to Territorial and Administrative Reform) and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Despite this, there is not much evidence of a deeper cooperation to determine an integrated package of principles whereby local government authorities reflect realistic concerns about EU’s influence along their mission and activities. This paper intends to explore whether the implementation of this administrative-territorial reform has taken into consideration the formal set up of EU integration, or has at least established the necessary legal, financial, cultural environment with the overall aim to enable European frameworks and processes even in local authorities and communities.