Where change happens: Empowered municipalities, better services and more livable cities
From strengthening municipal capacities to unlocking European funding, EU4Municipalities II is helping local governments turn the needs of their communities into concrete improvements and bring Albania’s European integration closer to home.
For most people, government is experienced close to home, in the infrastructure around them, the services they receive, and the opportunities available in their communities. As Albania moves forward in its European integration journey, this local dimension becomes increasingly important, giving local governments a greater role in shaping the country's European future.
For municipalities this means delivering quality services, managing economic development and engaging citizens, while also preparing to access European funding and align with EU standards. Yet many municipalities continue to face structural and capacity challenges that limit their ability to do so effectively.
Strengthening local governments therefore means more than improving administration. It means creating stronger foundations for development and helping communities benefit from Albania’s European journey.
This is the mission behind GIZ’s EU4Municipalities II project: empowered municipalities, more livable cities and a European future for Albania.
From launch to action
More than 80 participants representing over 30 municipalities, national institutions and development partners gathered in Durrës, on May 8th, for the launch of the second phase of EU4Municipalities.
Funded by the European Union and Germany, EU4Municipalities II builds on the experience of its first phase to support sustainable local development, improved public services and stronger alignment of municipalities with EU standards. The project is implemented by GIZ in partnership with the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), the National Association of Municipalities of Albania (NAMA) and the Center for Public Administration Research (KDZ), Austria.
Following the launch, EU4Municipalities continued its engagement during Europe Week 2026 through three regional events in Mirditë, Korçë and Himarë. More than 250 participants from local and central government, civil society, communities and development partners came together to discuss the role of municipalities and empower them as key actors in Albania’s European path.
Study visits to the municipalities of Përmet, Gjirokastër and Memaliaj added another dimension to this regional engagement, bringing the project team together with mayors and local administration to exchange on the challenges they faced, share experiences and lessons learned from the previous phase of EU4Municipalities, while preparing for the new grant scheme to be launched.
Together, these activities brought the project team closer to municipalities and communities to identify local priorities and connect them with Albania’s wider European agenda.
Turning local priorities into action
At the local level, European integration also means municipalities having the capacity and resources to respond to the needs of their communities and make cities livable. Therefore, EU4Municipalities II will combine capital investments with the practical support municipalities need to plan, implement and monitor improvements to local infrastructure and services.
More than EUR 6 million will be available through EU4M grant scheme, with amounts ranging from EUR 100,000 to EUR 300,000, and up to EUR 500,000 for inter-municipal cooperation. The investments will turn local priorities into concrete improvements — from better public infrastructure and services to initiatives that create more sustainable and inclusive local economies, while taking environmental, social and gender considerations into account.
But investment alone is not enough. Through technical assistance, hands-on training, workshops, study visits and peer learning, EU4Municipalities will strengthen municipalities’ capacities to better access and manage EU funds. This includes support on partnership and multi-level governance models; and drafting of municipal territorial economic development instruments, in line with EU cohesion policy principles.
Bringing Europe closer to local communities
Stronger local government also depends on involving the people and organizations that shape the community. EU4Municipalities will promote stakeholder engagement and citizen participation, bringing municipalities together with public institutions, businesses, academia, civil society and citizens to shape local development.
This approach help design local solutions that reflect the realities of each community, while encouraging greater ownership and cooperation. It also recognizes that Albania’s municipalities are different, with their own identities, challenges and economic potential.
As the project moves from launch to implementation, its ambition is clear: stronger municipal capacities, better access to funding and improved services, with municipalities playing a more active role in Albania’s European journey.
Because Europe is not only built through national institutions and reforms. It is also built locally — in the services municipalities provide, the spaces they create and the opportunities they open up.
