Government unveils legal package against illegal construction and arson

Prime Minister Edi Rama accompanied by the Justice Minister presented a package of legal amendments Monday targeting illegal construction, land misuse, and arson. The reforms will amend four existing laws on planning, development, inspection, protection, and confiscation of illegal buildings, alongside changes to the Penal Code. It will be the first document signed by members of the new cabinet immediately after their swearing-in.

Why is this important: The package introduces tougher penalties for every square meter built without a permit, including full confiscation of properties in cases of major violations. Builders, architects, and even public officials complicit in illegal construction face entry into a national “blacklist,” with bans on permits and public employment for years. The aim is to end a culture of impunity that has long undermined urban planning and environmental protection.

Context:
Key provisions include:

• Unauthorized works beyond 2% of the permitted surface, where demolition is impossible, will be confiscated for public use.
• Constructions exceeding 10% without permit for profit will face total confiscation or demolition.
• A national blacklist will register violators: developers barred from permits for five years, architects penalized, and officials prohibited from public posts for seven years.
• Selling apartments before exploitation permits or changing the building’s destination will be punishable.
• Every construction site will have a responsible inspector reporting progress online

The Penal Code will also be amended:

• Arson damaging property: fines or up to 5 years in prison.
• Severe damage: up to 10 years.
• Illegal construction for profit or causing serious consequences: 3 to 8 years.
• If carried out by public officials: 3 to 7 years and ban from office.
• If inside protected zones, cultural heritage, or affecting critical infrastructure: 5 to 10 years.

What was said: Prime Minister Rama went further, insisting arson penalties should be equal to those for murder: “Arsonists should be considered as murderers and punished as murderers.”

Other measures include mandatory tree planting for businesses seeking permits for outdoor furniture such as chairs and tents. Rama dismissed skepticism that this would be just another short-lived operation, stressing: “There is no Albania 2030 with illegal constructions.”

Next steps: The package will go before parliament as one of the first initiatives of the new legislature. If approved, Albania’s justice and planning systems would gain stronger tools to fight illegal construction and environmental damage.