Albania Country Summary
Sanctions
Limited US sanctions
FATF AML Deficient List
Yes
Terrorism
Corruption
US State ML Assessment
Criminal Markets (GI Index)
EU Tax Blacklist
Offshore Finance Center
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Anti Money Laundering
FATF Status
Albania is no longer on the FATF List of Countries that have been identified as having strategic AML deficiencies
Latest FATF Statement - 27 October 2023
The FATF welcomes Albania’s significant progress in improving its AML/CFT regime. Albania strengthened the effectiveness of its AML/CFT regime to meet the commitments in its action plan regarding the strategic deficiencies that the FATF identified in February 2020 related to (1) conducting additional in-depth analysis to understand its ML and other risks sufficiently, and enhancing institutional coordination and cooperation; formalising the economy and reducing the ML/TF risks posed by the widespread use of cash; and registering property ownership information across nearly the entire country (2) improving the timely handling of mutual legal assistance requests; (3) establishing effective mechanisms to detect and prevent criminal infiltration of the economy, including by strengthening competent authorities’ powers to take necessary action; (4) ensuring that accurate and up to date basic and beneficial ownership information is available on a timely basis; (5) increasing the number and improving the sophistication of prosecutions and confiscations for ML, especially in cases involving foreign predicate offenses or third-party ML; (6) improving the implementation of targeted financial sanctions, in particular through enhanced supervisory action and targeted, proactive outreach. Albania is therefore no longer subject to the FATF’s increased monitoring process.
The FATF welcomes Albania’s commitment to respect the FATF principles in case Albania introduces a VTC programme in the future.
Albania should continue to work with MONEYVAL to sustain its improvements in its AML/CFT system.
Compliance with FATF Recommendations
The latest Follow-up Mutual Evaluation Report relating to the implementation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards in Albania was undertaken in 2023. According to that Evaluation, Albania was deemed Compliant for 6 and Largely Compliant for 31 of the FATF 40 Recommendations. It remains rated Highly Effective for 0 and Substantially Effective for 2 with regard to the 11 areas of Effectiveness of its AML/CFT Regime.
Sanctions
Albania, as a member of the United Nations, is obligated to support UN sanctions aimed at maintaining international peace and security. The UN Security Council has established 31 sanctions regimes since 1966, which include various measures such as economic sanctions and arms embargoes, with a focus on protecting the rights of those targeted. Currently, there are 15 ongoing sanctions regimes addressing issues like political conflicts and counter-terrorism, all managed by a sanctions committee.
In June 2021, the US expanded its sanctions authority in the Western Balkans through Executive Order 14033, which now includes actions that threaten regional stability and democratic processes. This order specifically adds Albania to the list of countries under scrutiny, prohibiting US persons from engaging with designated parties. Additionally, candidate countries for EU accession, including Albania, have aligned with the EU's sanctions policies regarding situations in Iran and Russia.
Bribery & Corruption
Rating | 0 (bad) - 100 (good) |
---|---|
Transparency International Corruption Index | 37 |
World Bank: Control of Corruption Percentile Rank | 39 |
Albania has established a legal framework to combat corruption, yet it remains a significant barrier to economic growth and foreign investment, particularly affecting the judiciary, public procurements, and the construction sector. Despite recent judicial reforms supported by the U.S. and EU, which have led to the dismissal of numerous officials, enforcement of anti-corruption measures is still weak, and the culture of impunity persists. Continued efforts in judicial reform and cooperation among government agencies are essential for improving the investment climate and advancing Albania's EU candidacy.
Economy
Albania is classified as an upper middle-income country with a GDP of USD 24 billion and a population of approximately 2.8 million. The economy has shown resilience, recovering from a contraction during the COVID-19 pandemic with growth rates of 8.9% in 2021 and 4.9% in 2022, although growth is projected to slow to 3.4% in 2023. Despite challenges such as corruption and labor shortages, Albania has attracted significant foreign direct investment, particularly in sectors like real estate and tourism.
Albania's investment climate is characterized by a liberal foreign investment regime that allows for 100 percent foreign ownership in most sectors, although significant challenges remain due to corruption, a large informal economy, and labor shortages. The Law on Strategic Investments, aimed at promoting both domestic and foreign investments, has not attracted substantial foreign capital, with most approved projects focusing on tourism and dominated by domestic investors. Despite these hurdles, Albania has seen an increase in foreign direct investment, particularly in real estate and extractive industries, indicating untapped potential across various sectors.
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- Risk Analysis
- Corruption
- Economy
- Sanctions
- Narcotics
- Executive Summaries
- Investment Climates
- FATF Status
- Compliance
- Key Findings