A Dysfunctional Institution Shielded by European Funds
The Special Appeals Chamber (KPA) was created as a key pillar of Albania’s judicial reform, funded significantly by the European Union. However, seven years after its establishment, this institution has proven to be ineffective, unaccountable, and, in many cases, an outright embarrassment to the justice system. The very body tasked with vetting judges and prosecutors for incompetence and corruption is now itself plagued by inefficiency, procedural failures, and questionable decisions.
Despite being granted near-constitutional authority, KPA has repeatedly failed to deliver timely rulings. With cases lingering for over a year without decisions being published, it is evident that this institution lacks both the professionalism and discipline required to uphold the rule of law. If the watchdog of justice cannot even adhere to its own procedural deadlines, how can it be trusted to oversee the integrity of Albania’s judiciary?
European Taxpayers Are Funding Incompetence
The European Union has poured millions into Albania’s justice reform, under the promise that it would create a fair, transparent, and independent judicial system. Instead, EU taxpayers’ money is funding an institution that operates with the same dysfunction and lack of accountability as the corrupt system it was meant to replace.
Brussels continues to finance this judicial reform without demanding real results. KPA’s repeated failures to meet basic procedural standards should have prompted a full audit of its operations. Instead, EU institutions remain silent, allowing their financial contributions to be misused by an organization that is proving to be more of a political tool than a guardian of justice.
Who Holds KPA Accountable?
Ironically, the KPA has had the power to dismiss judges and prosecutors for incompetence, yet it remains untouchable despite its own failures. Decisions that should have been made within weeks remain unpublished for over a year. The same judges who impose strict standards on others operate in complete impunity, with no consequences for their negligence.
The Albanian Parliament, which approved the establishment of KPA, bears responsibility for overseeing its work, but has done little to address these concerns. Likewise, the European Commission, which aggressively promoted this reform as a precondition for Albania’s EU accession, has failed to acknowledge the disastrous execution of its project.
An Urgent Call for Oversight
The KPA’s inefficiency is not just an internal Albanian problem; it is a scandal that should concern every European citizen whose taxes are being wasted on an institution that fails to deliver justice. If the EU is serious about judicial reform in Albania, it must demand transparency, enforceable deadlines, and strict financial accountability for the funds allocated to the KPA.
A reform designed to combat incompetence and corruption cannot succeed if it is built on the same flawed principles. Until real oversight is imposed, the Albanian people will continue to suffer under a broken system, and European taxpayers will continue to fund a justice reform that delivers nothing but delays and disappointment.