Law No. 7664 on Environmental Protection.

This Law consists of 53 articles divided into 7 chapters: General dispositions (Chap. I); Environmental impact assessment (II); Licences for activities that shall affect the environment (III); Regulation of and information on the environmental situation (IV); Duties and rights of central and local authorities on environment (V); Responsibilities and sanctions (VI ); Final dispositions (VII). In article 1 the main 'strategic' elements of environmental protection are identified: prevention and reduction of pollution of all kinds; conservation of biological diversity; rational management of the natural resources and the avoidance of overexploitation; the ecological restoration of areas damaged by human activities or natural destructive phenomena; preservation of the ecological balance; and maintenance and improvement of the quality of life. Article 5 prohibits the importation of hazardous waste. Such waste may not enter, be stored, preserved or disposed in the Republic of Albania. The transportation of hazardous waste and substances through the territory and territorial landwaters shall be permitted only if so envisaged by an international treaty to which Albania is a signatory party. Authorities, being of the Committee of Environmental Preservation and Protection (CEPP), its regional agencies as well as commune, municipality and district councils, may require impact assessments under this Law with respect to national and local land use plans and programmes - which may have a strong impact on the environment or reconstruction or enlargement of such projects - and all local activities, which in the opinion of local authorities, need environmental impact assessments (arts. 8 and 9). Rules and procedures of environmental impact assessments shall be determined by the CEPP in cooperation with relevant ministries and central institutions (art. 11). Concerned natural and legal persons shall have the right to participate in considering results of environmental impact assessment (art. 12). Article 18 specifies the economic activities that require a licence under this Law which shall be granted by authorities designated in article 19. A general policy for the protection of the environment shall be prepared by the Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection and implemented by the CEPP (art. 37). The powers of the Ministry in the field of environmental protection are outlined in article 38; those of the CEPP are outlined in article 40. The Inspectorate of Environmental Protection shall have the duties and powers to be defined by the Ministry but shall report to the CEPP (art. 41).