The websites listed below provide useful facts about Albania as well as contacts and tools for companies operating in Albania:

• International Finance Corporation: Global SME Toolkit
  Guide to sustainable business management practices for SMEs.
• Business Fighting Corruption
  An online resource centre for business on collective action to avoid corruption which contains a guide and resources for partnerships with companies and other stakeholders to fight against corruption.
• CIA World Factbook: Albania Profile
• The World Bank: Albania Data Profile

Sources for further reading:

• Freedom House: Freedom in the World - Albania 2011.
• Freedom House: Nations in Transit - Albania 2011.
• US Department of State: Human Rights Report - Albania 2010.
• The Bertelsmann Foundation: Transformation Index - Albania 2010.
• US Department of State: Investment Climate Statement - Albania 2010.
• GRECO: Evaluation Report on Albania on Incriminations 2009.
• GRECO: Evaluation Report on Albania on Transparency of Party Funding 2009.

UNCAC Status: Signed 18 December 2003. Ratified 25 May 2006

Status on UNCAC Implementation
This field describes the country's status on the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Please note any declarations and reservations made upon ratification. The list of signatories can be found on the UNODC website. Read more about the UNCAC.

Other Relevant Conventions or Treaties:

• Council of Europe Criminal Law Convention on Corruption. Signed 27 January 1999. Ratified 19 July 2001.
  Read Transparency International's summary and assessment of the convention.
• Council of Europe Civil Law Convention on Corruption. Signed 4 April 2000. Ratified 21 September 2009.
  Read Transparency International's summary and assessment of the convention.
• Member of the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) since 27 April 2001.
• Member of the Resource Center of Regional Anti-Corruption Initiative for SEE (RAI-SEE).
• United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime: Signed 12 December 2000. Ratified 21 August 2002.
  Read Transparency International's summary and assessment of the convention.

Transparency CPI: 2011: 95/182 (Score: 3.1)

Transparency CPI
This field consists of the score for the country in question on the Corruption Perceptions Index from Transparency International as well as its ranking.

World Bank CORR Index (-2.5 - +2.5): 2009: -0.4

World Bank Corruption Index
This field consists of the score for the country in question on the 'Control of Corruption' indicator in the World Bank Governance Research Indicator Country Snapshot (GRICS): 1996-2009.

OECD Country Risk Classification (0-7): 2011: 6

Country Risk Classification
The classification of countries by risk category has the aim of providing OECD countries with a basis for calculating the premium interest rate to be charged to cover the risk of non-repayment of export credits. Countries are placed in risk categories 0 - 7, with 0 being the lowest risk category and thus the least expensive. Conversely, premium group 7 is the highest risk category. Each classification is comprised of 2 components: 1) an assessment of the country's economic/financial situation, and 2) its overall political stability. Access the complete list of OECD Country Risk Classification figures.

Data Verification:

Publication date: October 2011

Data verified by: Global Advice Network