On May 11, 2025, parliamentary elections were held in Albania, resulting in the selection of 140 members of Parliament. More than half of them will serve in the Assembly for the first time. The portal Spending Data Albania, through its database “Money and Power,” enables citizens to better understand the profile and background of each MP. This database, created and maintained by the non-governmental organization AIS, makes available to the public comprehensive information and official documents related to the integrity, professional experience, and economic and financial interests of every newly elected or re-elected MP. For each MP, the following documents are publicly accessible: Curriculum Vitae (CV); Decriminalization Form; Declaration of Assets and Interests. This initiative aims to strengthen public oversight, ensure institutional transparency, and build trust in democratic representation by providing easy access to verified data about elected officials. Publishing integrity-related documents and asset declarations for each MP is a key standard of an Open Parliament.
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/mp-bannerr-1.jpg300300adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2025-07-12 09:28:332025-07-12 09:54:20Albanian Parliament after the May 2025 Elections – AIS Publishes Integrity Declarations for 140 Elected MPs
February, the Month of Civil Engagement for European Integration, began with an event of the Organization AIS, whose purpose was to present a Policy Paper titled “Control of the Integrity of Public Contractors, EU practices and contracting in the Albanian Context”, drafted in the frame of the C1-EU- NPA Project. His Excellency, the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana, Mr. Reinout Vos, was also in attendance at this event.
Aranita Brahaj, the head of the Organization, emphasized that many companies in the country that have acquired the status of Contractor in Public Procurement; Investor in State Assets or Public Licenses in Strategic sectors, are Shell or Offshore companies with unidentified beneficial owners, located in fiscal havens. This status raises questions about the control of integrity concerning companies, that are engaged in implementing Public Contracts in exchange of State Assets and Money from the Albanian Taxpayers.
The Policy Paper’s aim was to analyze the existing Practice of integrity control in EU countries and to identify what was lacking in the Albanian legislation and practice, weather it coincided with potential loopholes present or need for intervention. In conclusion, the organization also presented specific recommendations for legal amendments and incorporation of additional measures to the respective legislation on Public Procurement and the Law on the Declaration of the Beneficial Owner.
Conclusions and Recommendations were introduced in the presence of Parliament and Government Representatives. Ms. Klotilda Bushka, Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee in the Assembly and Ms. Jorida Tabaku, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Integration, spoke about the findings and proposals for legal amendments drafted by Civil Society. The General Director of the Public Procurement Agency, Ms. Reida Kashta, concurrently responsible for the EU negotiations concerning the Public Procurement Chapter, also attended the event.
The Policy Paper and the subsequent Event, were carried out in the frame of the C1-EU-NPA project “Improved Policy Debate and Accountability on delivering the Fundamentals First, to fulfill Basic Rights through the Establishment of Cluster I EU Negotiations Platform, Albania”, a project implemented jointly by four Albanian organizations: CSDG, ISP, KSHH and AIS, with the support of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tirana.
The document was drafted by AIS, in collaboration with the renown legal expert, Eduard Halimi. The organization AIS, in addition to its contribute through the preparation of Policy Documents and Recommendations, is also a promoter of Open Data platforms for the tracking, making transparent and verification of contracts and public contractors, more specifically through databases like Open Corporates Albania and Open Procurement Albania.
Mrs. Aranita Brahaj – Executive Director AIS/Open Data Albania
Mr. Reinout Vos – Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Albania
Mr. Eduard Halimi – Legal expert
Mrs. Jorida Tabaku – Chairperson, Parliamentary Committee for European Integration and Mrs. Klotilda Bushka – Chairperson of the Legal Affairs Committee Parliament
https://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/MAL_9424-2.jpg38263852adminhttp://ais.al/new/wp-content/uploads/aislogo1.pngadmin2023-02-04 11:02:242023-02-07 13:49:38"February, Month of Civil Engagement for EU Integration" started - AIS presented a Policy Paper on Integrity Control of Public Contractors, EU practice and the Albanian Context
The Organization AIS / Open Data Albania is holding this week (October 2022) a training cycle with young people, part of the OpenDataYouth Network. The young participants in this program are selected through competition targeting young journalist professionals or students; economists; tax accountants; future politicians; analysts; sociologists; researchers; etc.
The purpose of the Training is to raise the capacities and empower the youth, as the category most predisposed to bring change in society. The targeted capacity includes awareness, articulation, education and evaluation on issues of good governance and anti-corruption. Provide them with knowledge about the stakeholders engaged in anti-corruption phenomena and tracking methods. The final goal is for a researcher, activist, journalist in the first steps of the profession, or during university studies to be able to articulate publicly on issues related to governance and corruption
There are eight specific topics addressed during October with a focus on anti-corruption and good governance issues, namely Corruption and EU Integration; Media and Anti-Corruption; Institutions and Stakeholders engaged in Anti-Corruption; Gender Perspective and Anti-Corruption; Corruption by Law; Money Laundering Challenges; Fiscal Policy and Civil Society and Activism for Anticorruption.
Working with young people and empowering them against corruption is part of the implementation of the Open Data, Access and Transparency over sectors exposed to Risk of CorruptionProject. The project is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Sida. One of the components of the project is Youth Empowerment against Corruption – Citizen Education, Improve Fact-Checking Models.
This component shall consist of several events. Its objective is to educate and develop the skills of a group of young people in critical thinking and articulation on issues related to corruption. The component envisages activities such as training, individual work sessions, internships at the organization, forum, preparation of articles and networking.
