The action Improving the protection of the right to property and facilitating execution of ECtHR judgments in Albania (D-REX III) is designed to empower Albanian citizens by improving their ability to seek and protect their property rights, and to guarantee that related European Court of Human Rights' (ECtHR) judgments are properly enforced, ultimately leading to greater respect for human rights in Albania.

The action is implemented within the joint programme of the European Union and the Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye running from 2023 until 31 December 2026.

What is the goal(s) and objective(s) of the action?

The main objective of the action is to ensure that property rights of citizens of Albania are respected through improved domestic capacity to enforce property rights and execute the related ECtHR judgments.

In achieve this the action will promote co-operation and a more harmonised approach in applying effective domestic remedies for the execution of the ECtHR judgments. In the same time it will support the authorities in further aligning the legislation in the field of property rights with the ECtHR standards and contributing to its uniform application by the domestic actors. Most importantly, the action aims to contribute to strengthening legal certainty for the citizens in Albania through legal education and public awareness-raising campaigns.

Who benefits from the action?

Albanian public actors such as the State Advocate, the High Judicial Council, the High Court, the Constitutional Court, regular courts, the Ministry of Justice, the Agency for the Treatment of Property, the State's Cadastre Agency, local government units etc that will benefit from targeted technical assistance and capacity building activities.

Albanian property owners will benefit from the action by having their property rights better protected and enforced through improved legal mechanisms and execution of ECtHR judgements.

Albanian judicial and legal professionals will benefit from the action by having access to training and resources that improve their ability to handle property rights cases and execute ECtHR judgments.

How does the action work?

Building upon the progress achieved in the framework of the pervious phases of Horizontal Facility, the action will assist the authorities to solve on-going structural problems related to protection of the right to property and execution of the ECtHR judgments. Firstly, it will address these issues through enhancing co-operation of relevant authorities, concentrating its efforts on strengthening the role of the State Advocate, with the view to preventing future violations and strengthening the domestic system of legal remedies.  In addition, will assist the authorities in completing and fully aligning the legislation in the field of property with the ECtHR standards, and especially legal professionals in adopting a uniform and consistent approach when applying the legislation. 

The implementation of the action will be based on a combination of concrete tailor-made and demand-driven activities, including advice and expertise, substantive methodological recommendations, monitoring of implementation, capacity-building activities, awareness-raising activities, and follow-up.

What do we expect to achieve?

  • Public institutions work together and adopt a more harmonised approach in the process of execution of the European Court of Human Rights' judgments
  • Domestic legislation in the field of property rights is further aligned with the ECtHR standards and applied efficiently by duty-bearers.
  • Rights-holders in Albania, including vulnerable groups, are better informed about their rights and how to claim them.

What is the budget of the action?

The total budget of the action is 900 000 Euros.

The budget allocated to the overall Horizontal Facility programme amounts to ca. 41 million EUR (85% funded by the European Union, 15% by the Council of Europe).

How to get more information?

Action’s webpage on the Co-operation Programmes Division website/DGI: Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law/Council of Europe.
Horizontal Facility website

About Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye?

The Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye is a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe that enables the Western Balkans Beneficiaries and Türkiye to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with the European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.