Wednesday, July 20, 2022
The meeting for the establishment of the Green Group, which is a voluntary organization of legislators from various political groups, took place today in the premises of the Albanian Assembly. The group, initiated by 30 MPs, aims to foster the engagement of parliamentarians and enable inter-party action to fulfill the commitments made by our country within the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans.
The establishment of the Green Group has been initiated by Academy of Political Studies and supported by the program Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe - Energy, Transport and Climate Protection. The ORF-ETC program is financed by the German Federal Government and EU and implemented the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Gesellschaft GmbH (GIZ)
The meeting was moderated by the Chairman of the Committee for Production Activities, Trade and Environment, Mr. Arben Pėllumbi, who emphasized the importance of the cooperation of political forces in the Parliament to promote the implementation of the objectives of the Green Agenda and to ensure that the green transition is fair and comprehensive for all citizens.
The ceremony, which also coincided with the opening of the EU accession negotiations for Albania, was addressed by Mrs. Judith Hoffmann, head of the Department of Development Cooperation at the German Embassy in Tirana and Mrs. Sonja Kurz - Director of GIZ Albania, who pledged to continue supporting the group and increase the role of the Green Group.
During the meeting, the Internal Regulation of the operation of the Green Group, the calendar of activities as well as the identification symbol of the group were approved.
The European Green Deal is the new main development strategy of the European Union towards promoting a sustainable economic model, which reduces pollution in all the host components of the environment. Presented in December 2019, the main objective of this agreement is for Europe to become the first continent with a neutral impact on the climate by 2050, aiming to change the current approach of its socio-economic development.
The Republic of Albania, together with other countries of the Western Balkans region, has pledged to support the objectives of the Green Agreement of the European Union, in November 2020, at the Sofia Summit, by signing two declarations: the Green Agenda of the Western Balkans, as well as the creation of a Common Regional Market, which aim to make the region's economy sustainable and climate-neutral by 2050, through a series of initiatives and political and financial reforms with comprehensive goals.
The objectives of the Green Agenda are a challenge that requires significant efforts from all sectors and society as a whole. The first and fundamental step must be the establishment of a clear vision by the policy makers and the determination of every political force in the majority or in the opposition to pursue these long-term objectives, ensuring their implementation.
