What “activating State of Emergency” means, as opposition demands it, government refuses

The Democratic Party and the Socialist Movement for Integration asked the government to declare the state of emergency, but the government has refused.

The reason is that if the government declares the state of emergency, the government’s obligations mount up to dozens of millions of Euros.

But when and how is the state of emergency declared? The law about this dates from the government of Prime Minister Fatos Nano, in 2002.

This law states that the state of emergency is declared in some parts of the territory or through the entire country when several criteria are met.

For flood, the State of Emergency can be declared when water reaches critical levels, when one or more rivers have went out of bed in alarming proportions, when the life of civilians and cattle is at serious risk.

When the State of Emergency is declared, all state institutions need to be regulated by the law for civilian emergency. The first article of this law says that the state will be bound to prevent, reduce and repair ay damage that affects the population, cattle, property, cultural heritage and environment.

If the government declares the State of Emergency, the law imposes a 100% compensation of all kind of damage that affects the population.

In the past seven years, Albania has declared the State the State of Emergency twice for natural disasters, both during the Berisha government, once in 2010, when the Sub-Shkodra area was flooded by the draining of the Fierza hydropower plant, and then in 2012, when northern Albania was blocked by snow and frost.

The government approved 11 million EUR for compensation in 2010, and 30 million EUR in 2012.

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