EU warns Albania over Trump-linked resort project in protected wetland

The European Commission has stated that Albania must adhere to the bloc's environmental legislation if it hopes to progress in its EU accession process. The statement came on Tuesday in response to questions about a controversial resort development involving the Trump family.

Protests Over Luxury Resort Project

Thousands of Albanians protested last week against a planned luxury resort project backed by Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The development is slated for the Vjosa-Narta lagoon, a unique Mediterranean wetland in southern Albania.

Conservationists warn that the project would threaten over 70 endangered species and more than 200 migratory species, including flamingos, Mediterranean monk seals, and nesting sea turtles.

"We expect the Albanian authorities to act without delay," Guillaume Mercier, a Commission spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday.

Alignment with EU Standards

Countries applying for EU membership are required to align with EU legislation and standards, which are incorporated into the negotiation "chapters" that accession candidates must complete.

"As part of the closing benchmark for Chapter 27 on Environment and Climate Change, Albania is expected to align fully with EU legislation in this area, including the Birds and Habitats Directives, and also the 2015 legislation on strategic investment," the EU official said.

The Birds and Habitats Directives are the EU's core biodiversity laws, applying particularly to the Natura 2000 network of protected areas. Albania's 2015 Law on Strategic Investments fast-tracks major projects, but the EU maintains that these must be implemented in line with European environmental rules.

Environmental Impact Assessment Ordered

According to Mercier, Albania's Environment Minister, Sofjan Jaupaj, has reportedly committed to halting construction and ordered a comprehensive environmental impact assessment after the Commission expressed concerns about the project's potential shortcomings.

The outcry began after the campaign group BirdLife and a score of fellow NGOs observed bulldozers and barriers along the outer edge of the lagoon. These were subsequently removed.

'International Spectacle'

On 6 June, Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to the international outcry in a social media post, asserting that no building permit had been issued, no construction was underway, and that there was "not even a final design yet".

"How could a local protest involving a few thousand people be transformed into an international spectacle?" Rama wrote.

The prime minister appears to have no intention of blocking a development he says would "transform Albania into the most attractive high-end tourism destination in this part of the world". He further claimed it would have a "net positive" environmental impact and "result in approximately 25% more trees and green space than exists today".

Legal Changes and Ongoing Concerns

In February 2024, an amendment to the Albanian law on protected areas opened the door to luxury resort construction in zones that had previously been strictly protected.

Anouk Puymartin of BirdLife told Euractiv that the Vlora International Airport had already been built within the Vjosa-Narta nature protection area.

The exemption allows certain tourism projects to deviate from the requirement to "maintain the land in its natural state, preserve … species in order to ensure ecological stability and biodiversity".

The European Commission had raised its concerns about this amendment as early as September 2025, in the European Union's common position on Albania's accession to the EU.

(rh, aw)