A Modern Civil Registry and Address System in Albania supported by €2.5 million of assistance from the European Union
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Tirana, February 17, 2011 NOA - The concrete results of the four-year project “Modernisation of Administrative Address and Civil Registration Systems” were presented today.
The project assisted with the establishment of electronic systems for addresses and civil registration, the creation of an Office of the Personal Data Protection Commissioner, and the installation of street signs in southern Albania, as well as with the promotion of these achievements through public awareness campaigns. The new civil registry provides a secure database that necessary for the elaboration of biometric passports; this has been an essential contribution to complete the visa liberalisation process.
The modernisation of these systems is an important step to improve the delivery of public services in sectors such as health, taxation, property, social security, education, the postal services, but also to facilitate court proceedings, enforcement of rulings, or response to emergency situations. The street signs installed enable local residents and visiting tourists to orientate themselves in the city. The quality of the state services is highly dependent on a sound system that can be referred to and learned by all.
"Combined together, the modern civil registry and the modern address system will raise the quality and efficiency of health, tax, social security, education, postal, court services and many more. The €2.5 million that the EU has given to Albania from its taxpayers’ money have produced benefits that the common EU citizen is very familiar with, and may even take for granted. I look forward to Albanians becoming familiar with the better services that rely on proper civil registry and address systems", declared Ambassador Ettore Sequi, the Head of the European Union Delegation to Albania. Ambassador Sequi also emphasized that “The further success and sustainability of this undertaking depends on government will, on cooperation between all institutions, on the capacities and human resources of relevant authorities, such as the General Directorate of the Civil Status, Civil Status Offices and Urban Planning Offices”.
The long-term success and sustainability of the new systems and related undertakings, such as the 2011 Census depend upon financial and human resources, as well as on good maintenance and inter-institutional cooperation to ensure wider utilisation while respecting the fundamental right to personal data protection.
The EU-funded project "Modernisation of the civil registry and address system in Albania" (€2.5 million) was finalised in December 2010. The project has been implemented by the OSCE Presence in Albania, with additional funding from the OSCE and in cooperation with the Council of Europe for the data protection component. The EU also allocated over €10 million for both Census and Data Protection Commission.
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