Abstract
Corruption and organized crime have been two major challenges in Albania, which have slowed down the socio-economic development and the country’s progress towards EU integration.
Corruption in Albania has been present in different areas, such as in public administration, law enforcement, judiciary. Public officials have been frequently criticized for abusing their positions for personal enrichment. In the meantime, ordinary citizens have often been held back by systemic barriers when pursuing justice, or in accessing benefits from the healthcare system, employment opportunities.
Albania also contends with organized crime. The geographic positioning makes Albania a strategic transit point for drug trafficking and other illegal activities, including human trafficking and arms smuggling. The weakness of Albania’s judicial system is one of the critical factors facilitating corruption and organized crime. Because of this long-term reality, Albania began a judicial reform in 2014, with international support, mainly from EU and US. The Justice Reform began with the establishment of the Special Parliamentary Committee for the Reform on the Justice System on November 27, 2014. The justice reform began with the aim of completely changing the justice system, creating a more efficient system and restoring public trust. In this sense, main purpose of this manuscript is the analysis of Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Structure (SPAK) and its achievements.