Infringement by Albanian authorities of the property rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Northern Epirus

19 April 2016
E-003121-16
Question for written answer
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Notis Marias (ECR)

In a provocative move, the Albanian Government has annulled the title deeds to land belonging to 123 families belonging to the ethnic Greek minority in the village of Drymades in the Albanian municipality of Himare situated in Northern Epirus. The title deeds in question were issued in 1994 under Law 7501.

The decision to ask Himare municipal authorities to annul the 123 title deeds was prompted by alleged ‘irregularities’ therein. Each title deed refers to plots owned by families in question, between one and ten (or possibly more) per family and varying in size from 100 m2 to 10 000 m2 each. Under this decision, the Albanian Government has affectively appropriated the property of around half the Greek families in Drymades as part of its policy of arbitrarily dispossessing the Greek ethnic minority of Northern Epirus.

In view of this:

Can the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy indicate what measures she intends to take to ensure that:
— This unlawful decision of the Albanian authorities is overturned;
— Albania is obliged to respect the rights of the Greek minorities in Northern Epirus, the right to property ownership and the rule of law?

Source: European Parliament