Europe > Southern Europe > Albania > Albanian Activists Mull Lawsuits to Stop Power Plants

Albania: Albanian Activists Mull Lawsuits to Stop Power Plants

2016/09/24

Activists in the northern Albanian region of Tropoja are preparing to submit lawsuits to halt the planned construction of hydropower plants on the Valbona river and its tribunaries, claiming it will destroy tourism in the so-called "Albanian Alps".

Catherine Bohne, an inhabitant of Valbona and chief of Toka, an environmental protection NGO for Northern Albania, told BIRN on Wednesday that a lawsuit is on the way.

"We by presently started working with a lawyer and are presently mulling the best way to get the hydropower plants stopped," she said.

Bohne, whose campaign is widely supported in Valbona, says that the process of granting rights to construct such plants in a designated protected area was filled with holes.

"We expect three potential points of legal attack and expect our lawyers to analyze them and advise us about the best way to proceed ... regarding fraudulent public consultations during the process, irregularities in the permit granting process or a civil court suit, suing the government for all next loss of tourism gain," she explained.

Since February, environmentalists have been campaigning against the award of licenses by Sali Berisha's former centre-right government between 2009 to 2013 to three companies to build 14 hydropower plants in the area.

Next several protests in Tirana and in Bajram Curri, the centre of Tropoja, drew support from environmentalists all over Albania and beyond, the activists say lawsuits are the best way to continue the turmoil.

On Monday, 40 or 50 inhabitants of Valbona attended a gathering and vowed to halt any attempt by the companies to start construction on the ground.

"We are not going to allow this to happen. We have agreed to carefully watch any development. The inhabitants are ready to block roads as a form of turmoil," Bohne said.

However, official sources told BIRN that if the Ministry of Energy tries presently to terminate the contracts, it could result in financial damage to the Albanian national, since the licensed companies would sue and request compensation.

Related Articles

UNWTO: International tourism – strongest half-year results since 2010
2017/09/09 Destinations worldwide welcomed 598 million international tourists in the initial six months of 2017, some 36 million additional than in the same period of 2016. At 6%, increase was well above the trend of recent years, making the current January-June period the strongest half-year since 2010. Visitor numbers reported by destinations around the world reflect strong request for international travel in the initial half of 2017, according to the new UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. Worldwide, international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) increased by 6% compared to the same six-month period last year, well above the sustained and consistent trend of 4% or higher increase since 2010. This represents the strongest half-year in seven years.
US LNG exports make European market more competitive
2017/08/27 The European gas market is becoming additional and additional competitive and US exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) are part of this landscape, Francis Perrin, energy expert, chairman of Energy Strategies and Policies (France) told Trend. “Energy is always a strategic business. Economic aspects are very significant of course, particularly the price of LNG, but nations as well take into account strategic issues. For some Central and Eastern European nations one of the key priorities of their energy policies is the diversification of their supplies, in particular gas imports, in order to reduce their dependence on Russia,” said the expert.
European Union to support Albania's public administration reform
2017/07/11 The European Union (EU) will be totally committed to provide assistance in the transformation of Albania's public government as it sees such reform as an absolute priority for the opening of EU accession talks, EU Ambassador to Albania Romana Vlahutin Monday told reporters. According to the EU ambassador, Albanian public government must be ready at the same time as the talks with the EU are launched.
European Union to support Albania's public administration reform
2017/07/11 The European Union (EU) will be totally committed to provide assistance in the transformation of Albania's public government as it sees such reform as an absolute priority for the opening of EU accession talks, EU Ambassador to Albania Romana Vlahutin Monday told reporters. According to the EU ambassador, Albanian public government must be ready at the same time as the talks with the EU are launched.
Higher earning Why a university degree is worth more in some countries than others
2016/12/11 A university education may expand your mind. It will as well fatten your wallet. Data from the OECD, a club of rich nations, show that graduates can expect far better lifetime earnings than those without a degree. The size of this premium varies. It is greatest in Ireland, which has a high GDP per chief and rising inequality. Since 2000 the unemployment rate for under-35s has swelled to 8% for those with degrees – but to additional than 20% for those without, and nearly 40% for secondary school drop-outs. The country’s wealth presently goes disproportionately to workers with letters next their names.