The European Commission said it has received assurances by the Albanian government that the planned controversial €1.4 billion investment project on the Adriatic coast, linked to the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump, will fully comply with European environmental rules, in an attempt to allay concerns expressed by about the project.
“We have received assurances from the Albanian government that a full environmental impact assessment will be carried out and that European environmental standards will be respected,” EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, said during a press conference on the opening of the negotiating chapters of Ukraine and Moldova.
Kos recalled that Albania’s accession process is a mechanism for continuous monitoring and evaluation, which offers the strongest possible guarantees for the protection of nature and the environment.
The commissioner’s response comes amid mass protests in Albania against the luxury tourism development plan in Zvernec, promoted by Affinity Partners, a company linked to Jared Kushner.
The contentious multi-billion-euro development will be constructed on an island and a pristine piece of mainland that includes a protected wetland home to migrating flamingos, seals and sea turtles. The project is further complicated by claims of Zvernec residents that the land belongs to them.
