Media freedom and implementation of Council of Europe recommendations in Albania

Reply to Written question | Doc. 16504 | 09 October 2026

Author(s):

Committee of Ministers

Origin

Reply adopted at the 1571st meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (7 October 2026). 2026 - November Standing Committee (Montenegro)

Reply to Written question

: Written question no. 809 (Doc. 16346)

1. The Committee of Ministers thanks the honourable parliamentarian for her question relating to freedom of expression and media pluralism in Albania.

2. The Committee of Ministers actively promotes media pluralism in Albania and assesses Albania’s compliance with Council of Europe standards in this area through two ongoing projects: “Promoting freedom of expression in Albania through open dialogue” and “Protecting freedom of expression and of the media in Albania (PRO-FREX)”. The recommendations developed within the Open Dialogue project, designed to bring Albania closer to Council of Europe and EU standards, specifically by promoting legal clarity on media pluralism, strengthening regulatory safeguards, and ensuring monitoring and reporting mechanisms, were formally submitted to the Albanian authorities and Parliament in October 2025.

3. The Committee of Ministers regrets that full decriminalisation of defamation for all – and not just for journalists – remains outstanding, and notes that the recent Council of Europe Guide on Limiting the Use of Criminal Law to Restrict Freedom of Expression has been discussed and disseminated as a reference for standard-setting in this area.

4. The Committee of Ministers encourages the Albanian authorities to take all necessary steps to bring its legislation and practice fully in line with relevant Council of Europe standards, as set out in the recommendations addressed to it.