The government's promises to unlock IPARD III funds have received another response from Brussels. While Rama's government ministers have been announcing for months that European money for farmers will be released "very soon", the European Commission's Progress Report for 2026 confirms that Albania has not yet met all the conditions for their administration. Apparently, the "final phase" promised by the government continues to have an end that is not in sight.
Just a month ago, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, Delina Ibrahimaj, assured that the re-accreditation procedure was in the final phase and that the funds were expected to be released soon. The minister even stated that the required documentation had been submitted and the issues had been resolved.
But a document published this Wednesday by the European Commission presents a less optimistic situation. According to the report, Albania still needs to strengthen its financial management systems, control mechanisms and administrative capacities before being entrusted with the management of IPARD III funds.
So, while in Tirana the problems are declared solved, in Brussels the tasks that need to be fulfilled continue to be listed.
And Ibrahimaj is not the only one who has spread optimism about European funds. Before her, the Minister of Agriculture, Andis Salla, declared in February that the funds would be unlocked by June and applications would start in the second half of the year. In March, after a visit to Brussels, he spoke of progress, while in July he described the process as being in the final phase of evaluation.
June passed, summer ended, October disappeared and now November has arrived. Funds, however, remain blocked. In the calendar of government promises, IPARD III seems to be stuck in the sentence "very soon".
The Progress Report highlights that the Albanian authorities have submitted two requests to take over the responsibility of administering the funds, on April 1 and June 18, 2026. However, the European Commission still requires the fulfillment of preconditions for sound financial management, strengthening of controls and administrative capacities.
According to the report, the farm register has not been fully aligned with European requirements, while the agricultural parcel identification system continues to be under development. The Commission also calls for strengthening mechanisms for the prevention, detection and reporting of financial irregularities.
These requirements take on particular importance following the IPARD II scandal, which led to the suspension of reimbursements in July 2023. Investigations by the European Anti-Fraud Office, OLAF, identified serious irregularities in the administration of funds during the period when the Ministry of Agriculture was headed by Frida Krifca.
The investigation found problems related to rigged competition, false bids, inflated prices and questionable practices in obtaining grants. OLAF recommended that €33 million of IPARD II should not be recognized as regular expenditure, while the funds of the successor program should not be made available without correcting the deficiencies.
While criminal responsibilities for the irregularities found remain to be determined by the courts, the consequences of the suspension of funding continue to weigh heavily on the agricultural sector.
IPARD III alone foresees 146.4 million euros of public funding, of which 112 million euros are a contribution from the European Union and 34.4 million euros are co-financing from the Albanian budget. These are funds programmed for the modernization of farms, processing of agricultural products and rural development, but which have not yet been made available through the new program.
From Andis Salla to Delina Ibrahimaj, the statements have changed over the months, but not the content. Farmers have heard about progress, final stages and imminent unblocking, while Brussels continues to demand the fulfillment of conditions.
Farmers have no choice but to listen to the ministers' promises about IPARD III and pray that one day the funds will arrive.
