Joint Programme

Horizontal Facility

To support the process of transposition and implementation of key European standards, including relevant Council of Europe recommendations and the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) into the Albanian media regulatory and legal framework, the Albanian Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) and key actors in the field participated in a two-days roundtable organised in Tirana.

The workshop brought together AMA staff, government representatives, and a Council of Europe expert who discussed the alignment of Albanian legal framework with European standards. Sessions provided an in-depth overview of the DSA and AVMSD provisions applied to video-sharing platforms and explored effective institutional co-ordination mechanisms.

Participants benefitted from comparative insights and practical examples shared by Francesco Di Giorgi, Senior Legal Officer at the Italian media regulatory authority AGCOM, with a focus on supervision, monitoring, and enforcement under EU law on digital services. The expert-led sessions enabled AMA staff and key stakeholders to identify legislative gaps, discuss implementation strategies, and develop concrete recommendations for strengthening regulatory oversight and compliance in the digital environment.

The activity fostered constructive dialogue open discussions and interactive exercises, equipping participants with actionable tools and knowledge to support ongoing media reforms, which is important in Albania’s path towards European integration.

This workshop was organised by the Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression under the the joint European Union and Council of Europe action “Protecting Freedom of Expression and of the Media in Albania” (PROFREX-A)”, part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye”.