OSCE urges Albania to limit immunity

The OSCE is urging Albania to limit the immunity of public officials by changing laws and the constitution. The organisation’s Ambassador to Tirana, Eugen Wollfarth, said on Tuesday (April 19th) that the “volunteer statements for immunity limitations are welcome but not enough”, refering to regular statements submitted by local politicians. He was attending a meeting of EU and US ambassadors to discuss the European Commission’s recommendations for Albania. Participants concluded that the country has made progress in fighting serious crime, but more work remains, including in the prosecution phase. US Ambassador Alexander Arvizu urged Albanian authorities to continue reforms aimed at making the police an independent and politics-free institution. The European Commission expects Albania to strengthen its fights against corruption and illegal trafficking, and to demonstrate political maturity before it can receive EU candidate status.