Fixed in the time before the next elections in Albania, the European Parliament has taken a position on the “Vjosa National Park” cause.
On March 25, the European Parliament adopted the Albania Progress Report 2021 in which “they urge the [Albanian] government to minimize the impact on biodiversity by prohibiting the development of hydropower in protected areas, especially in areas near the Valbona and Vjosa rivers, and to declare Vjosa National Park as soon as possible, including the river in its entire length […].”
The vast majority of parliamentarians voted for the protection of Vjosa.
A Vjosa National Park which includes the entire length of the river along with its tributaries could serve as a model for the Biodiversity Strategy within the framework of the European Green Deal.
Unfortunately, the main Albanian politicians have not taken a position on this issue and even fewer concrete steps towards the initiative to designate the river as a national park. Before the April 25 election, we hope to hear from each of the candidates what they have in store for Vjosa.
