A Basel AML Index briefing following the decision of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove Albania from its list of jurisdictions under increased monitoring (“grey list”) in October 2023.

The briefing covers the main issues that led to Albania being grey-listed in February 2020, the action plan developed to address them, and publicly available data on how it was implemented. 

Waste management is a huge industry at the local, national and international levels. Public services play a key role in dealing especially with waste generated by households. Getting waste management right is essential if we are to achieve a circular economy and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Complex legal frameworks and their weak implementation open up spaces for criminals to profit from illegally managing or trading in waste. The consequences on the environment and human health can be severe. The role of corruption in crimes involving waste is unexplored.

Since the early 1990s, with the ever-increasing prospect of integration into the European Union, the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey have taken important steps to develop and strengthen their anti-corruption systems. Progress has been slow, however, and the implementation of laws and policies lags far behind what is envisaged on paper.

The Basel Institute has been requested to provide technical expertise and support on a public governance project aimed at supporting Albania’s efforts to reform its health system (“Support to Health Reform for Inclusive Access and Better Quality of Service Program in Albania”). The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (STPH) is spearheading the project with funding support from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC).

An expert from the Basel Institute's Public Governance Division has provided technical support to the "Health For All Programme (HAP) Albania", led by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute.

The aim of the programme is to assist Albania with the development of an anti-corruption strategy in association with their efforts at strengthening primary health care in the country.

Anti-money laundering systems have the potential to curb the use of proceeds of corruption and other crimes by the perpetrators. An effectively implemented anti-money laundering framework limits the channels through which illicit funds can be laundered, making crime riskier and reducing the incentives for corrupt activities.