Albania: Economic governance, regulatory reform, public participation, and pro-poor development in Albania

The sustainable supply of safe, sufficient and quality water is a priority for the government of Albania. While access to water has considerably improved in recent years, one of the persistent issues is poor service: the water pipes are old, the quality of water is low and there are frequent water cuts. The recent decentralization and commercialization of water supply services have pushed water prices up, but improvements in service are lagging behind.

Ensuring appropriate regulation and access to public utilities is a key issue for the country as it tries to combat informality, reduce regional disparities, promote social inclusion, meet its Millennium Development Goals targets and prepare for accession to the European Union.

Inclusive governance mechanisms are needed to ensure that competing interests concerning public utilities are articulated in a transparent manner, that the interests of all stakeholders are taken into account in decisions on investment and pricing, and that the trade-offs between economic growth, consumer protection, poverty reduction and environmental quality are appropriately managed.

To this end, the Joint Programme helped to put legal and institutional mechanisms in place and building the capacities of Government, utility regulators and consumer associations.

It also established mechanisms for participatory debate and decision-making as a way to improve access to electricity and water services, and thus to reduce poverty.

This Joint Programme was launched in August 2009 and was closed in June 2012.