The Assembly of the Republic of Albania, during a Plenary Session, approved the new law “On the Protection of Personal Data”. This important regulatory act represents a qualitative leap in ensuring the most contemporary standards for the protection of this fundamental right of Albanian citizens. The modernized legislation in the field of personal data protection also fulfills one of the obligations within the framework of the country’s integration process into the European Union (EU), fully aligning with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Directive on the processing of personal data by law enforcement authorities (Police Directive).

This new law expands and enriches the scope of individual rights. To ensure these rights through the lawful processing of personal data, necessary regulatory, technical-organizational, security, certification, risk assessment, periodic staff training measures, and more, must be implemented by every public or private data controller/processor. The law introduces innovations that align with technological advancements and the digitalization of services, such as new methods of obtaining consent, the right to be forgotten, innovative concepts like data portability, privacy by design, and privacy by default. Additionally, it imposes stricter penalties for violations of its provisions. Harmonizing the national regulatory framework with that of the EU strengthens the functions of the Commissioner’s Office to better address challenges and issues related to privacy breaches and ensure proper protection of personal data. This new supervisory approach, modeled after the GDPR, aims to enhance institutional independence by increasing professional and administrative capacities. The proper functioning of a reliable authority entails the continuous deepening of knowledge, accurate implementation of procedures, and a commitment to impartiality, free from any influences or interests. Progress on the path to European integration, as well as the consolidation of mechanisms for a democratic society with a developed economy, requires a contemporary and consolidated legal framework founded on respect for human rights and freedoms.