Albania may speak about European integration, but the real test lies elsewhere: in the ability of institutions to prepare projects and absorb funding. According to the EBRD, this is precisely where one of the main weaknesses lies, with particular emphasis on the local level, where municipalities are expected to carry much of the burden in using EU money.
EBRD warning over weak capacities
In an interview, Grzegorz Zielinski, the EBRD’s Managing Director for Southeast Europe, presented the capacity to prepare and implement projects as a problem that should not remain confined to the central administration alone.
According to him, the challenge is directly linked to membership in the European Union, since at a later stage the focus will not be only on financing from the EBRD or similar institutions, but on the timely and efficient use of EU funds, both before and after membership.
Municipalities at the center of the test for European funds
Zielinski stressed that the capacity to prepare projects and absorb funds must exist at all levels, especially in municipalities.
According to this assessment, local government units will be among the key actors that can drive change, especially in infrastructure and links with local roads, elements that directly affect the attraction of private investment.
The EBRD’s message suggests that without a functional local administration and ready-made projects, European funds may exist on paper, but not necessarily turn into real development on the ground.
The economy enters the process with old weaknesses
Beyond the issue of funding, the EBRD also identifies another structural problem in the Albanian economy: low-complexity exports and the continued dependence on being a net importer of goods.
According to this view, Albania must move away from the model of competing through low costs and shift toward products and services with higher added value.
Zielinski also emphasized the need for businesses to connect more strongly with one another, so that goods and services produced in the country become competitive in the pan-European market.
Financing will come with conditions, not money without direction
The EBRD signals that financing for business will be available, but not as an unfiltered mechanism without direction.
According to Zielinski’s statement, the issue is not only obtaining financing, but using it in line with future priorities and competitive advantages.
In essence, the message is that funds, whether from financial institutions or from the EU, cannot replace the lack of reforms, planning, and implementation capacities.
The EBRD’s statements place the focus on a problem that is often hidden behind the rhetoric of integration: not how much funding can be promised, but how much of it is actually used with results.
For Albania, the test appears to begin with the basics: serious projects, municipalities with real capacities, and an economy that produces more value than simply low costs.