The Draft Law “On some amendments and additions to the Law “On Search and Rescue Services in the Republic of Albania”” was adopted by the Albanian Assembly with 72 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.
The purpose of this draft law is to create a modern and effective search and rescue service by regulating its duties and addressing the current need to restructure it in accordance with the obligations of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Defense Minister Pirro Vengu defended the bill during the plenary session, saying it was an important step in improving our nation’s search and rescue capabilities and bringing them in line with international standards. “Our country has seen a surge in air and maritime traffic over the past three years, which has created the need for improved search and rescue services and coverage that is more in line with standards, both in terms of maritime incidents and aviation incidents,” said Minister Vengu.
According to Minister Vengu, the government’s primary goal in drafting this law is to ensure that the Search and Rescue Service, which is linked to the Air Force, Army and Navy, is prepared to deal with this new problem in our country.
The second reason, according to Minister Vengu, has to do with compliance with international agreements, including the International Civil Aviation Convention: Albania has international obligations to provide a reliable and effective service, coordinated with partner services, particularly in the event of air and maritime accidents within the Republic of Albania’s search and rescue jurisdiction, according to these conventions, Minister Vengu said.
The Civil Aviation Authority, the current authority, will monitor the search and rescue service in accordance with the international conventions and will conduct regular audits of the performance, investments, technological systems and human capacities for this round-the-clock service in our country. This is because the new law establishes oversight functions for search and rescue.
This recently enacted law provides for the establishment and operation of the National Search and Rescue Committee of the Ministry of Defense. The Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the National Coordinator for Search and Rescue, will head this committee, which will also include representatives from the National Agency for Civil Protection and all ministries involved in search and rescue. In the event of an aviation or maritime accident, this authority will also be responsible for coordinating the armed forces.