Strengthening Albania’s whistleblowing framework: A key step in effectively fighting corruption Jonida Jani Abstract Corruption significantly challenges Albania's governance, economic and social development and, ultimately, the country’s overall security. This policy brief highlights the urgent need for effective anti-corruption measures. It emphasizes the critical role of whistleblowing in the fight against corruption by exposing wrongdoing and promoting transparency. By evaluating the existing anti-corruption landscape in Albania, this brief identifies gaps, particularly in the whistleblower domain. To address this, a set of targeted policy recommendations is proposed. These recommendations include establishing a confidential advice service for potential whistleblowers and introducing whistleblower reward laws based on best practices. Additionally, this brief emphasizes the need to foster a culture of accountability and integrity. By prioritizing robust anti-corruption strategies, Albania can significantly enhance transparency, accountability and integrity and thereby make significant progress in combating corruption. This policy brief calls upon policymakers and stakeholders to take decisive action towards implementing these recommendations, fostering an environment that empowers and encourages whistleblowers to play a transformative role in combatting corruption. I. The Conundrum of Corruption Since 2000, the Government of Albania has made notable efforts to address widespread corruption by adopting and strengthening its legal framework, implementing anti-corruption policies and establishing institutional frameworks. Over this period, several reforms have been undertaken to enhance the country’s ability to prevent, curb and reduce corruption. In the meantime, 9 of 10 of the Group of States against Corruption(GRECO) recommendations have been implemented, and the regulatory framework developed to prevent corruption and ensure integrity, although fragmented, is comprehensive. 0F 1 1 European Commission, Albania Screening Report 2023, https://neighbourhood­enlargement.ec.europa.eu/screening-report-albania_en. A KEY STEP IN EFFECTIVELY FIGHTING CORRUPTION | 3