Durrës Yachts and Marina: state contribution claims, Constitutional Court challenge and 2026 reporting
Status: Under construction per SHTEG (May 2026); no SPAK file found; Constitutional Court rejected the challenge (Feb 2025).
Summary
The Durrës Yachts & Marina project (Eagle Hills 67 percent, Albanian Seaports Development Company 33 percent) was given strategic-investor status in 2021, and a 2022 law (Law 79/2022) ratified the framework agreement among the Council of Ministers, Eagle Hills and ASDC. Opposition MPs asked the Constitutional Court to repeal the law. On 21 February 2025 the Court rejected the request by majority, finding the Council of Ministers decisions individual acts and that the petitioner gave no constitutional arguments. On 12 May 2026 Balkanweb's 'On Target' programme argued, citing a Constitutional Court filing, that the state's contribution was about 299.75 million EUR (124 million EUR of forgiven public land, an infrastructure tax of 84 million EUR and a social housing obligation of 58.5 million EUR, which add up to about 266.5 million EUR; the programme states a total of about 299.75 million EUR, and a separate plot valuation of about 400 million EUR is also cited; the components and total do not reconcile in the article text as summarised). The programme says Alabbar put in only about 23,000 EUR of founding capital and that buyers' prepayments of about 66 million EUR funded the project. The Port Authority called the allegations unfounded and said the state holds 33 percent. No SPAK action is found in the sources opened.
Key facts
- Strategic-investor status granted 2021 by the Albanian Investment Development Agency; extended to 15 years in a July 2022 committee decision (secondary report citing Shteg and related reporting).
- Law 79/2022 ratified the framework agreement (CoM, Eagle Hills Real Estate Development, Albanian Seaports Development Company and NSHMI Development).
- Constitutional Court rejected the Democratic Party request on 21 Feb 2025 by majority (A2 CNN excerpt and Balkanweb).
- Official investment figure of about 2.08 billion EUR (per Balkanweb, 12 May 2026).
- Shteg reports works of about 41 million EUR in 2023-2024, of which Eagle Hills invested about 7.4 million EUR.
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (2)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- Strategic-investor status and Law 79/2022 exist (official acts reported in multiple sources).
- The Constitutional Court rejected the opposition request on 21 February 2025 (A2 CNN excerpt; Balkanweb).
What is alleged (2)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationThat the state's land, tax and social housing concessions outweigh the private contribution.
- AllegationThat buyers' prepayments fund construction and buyers may not receive apartments within their lifetime (Balkanweb's own calculation).
Allegations and who made them (3)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationBalkanweb 'On Target' (12 May 2026) alleges that the state contribution (about 299.75 million EUR by its own count) far exceeds the value of the investor's contribution.
- AllegationOpposition MPs alleged in the Constitutional Court challenge that the law was unconstitutional (2022-2025).
- AllegationShteg alleges the approved contract did not match the stated project purpose (2024-2025 analysis).
Open questions (4)
- The Constitutional Court's reasoned decision text.
- The valuation of the state land (124 million EUR forgiven and about 400 million EUR plot value) from a cadastral or valuation source.
- Whether the 66 million EUR of prepayments was held in escrow and whether any buyer complaints reached SPAK or the Consumer Protection agency.
- The current status of the 2022 Eagle Hills marina contract and any 2026 amendment.
Responses (2)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Durrës Port Authority: the allegations are unfounded; the land is a state contribution; the state holds 33 percent (Balkanweb, 12 May 2026).
- Government explanatory report: the state will benefit from participating (no value given) (Balkanweb, 12 May 2026).
Figures
Money trail →Durrës marina: state contribution as calculated in a Constitutional Court filing and quoted by Balkanweb
€299,750,000
Stated definition: Stated total in Balkanweb (from a Constitutional Court filing, as quoted). Listed components (124m land, 84m tax, 58.5m social housing) sum to about 266.5m, so the total does not reconcile; not verified
Date: 12 May 2026 · Payer: State (ASDC and state land) · Payee: Eagle Hills JV
- Balkanweb (EN) In Target (opens in a new tab)Balkanweb · 12 May 2026 · journalism · EN
Durrës marina: 2023-2024 works 41 million EUR, of which Eagle Hills 7.4 million EUR
€41,000,000
contractSource label: UnverifiedStated definition: Shteg analysis as seen in excerpt; not verified
Date: 2023-2024 · Payer: Eagle Hills JV · Payee: Contractors (not named)
- Shteg (excerpt) (opens in a new tab)SHTEG · 2024 · ngo · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →Court
Constitutional Court rejects DP request to repeal Law 79/2022 (Durrës marina)
Majority vote; the court said the Council of Ministers decisions are individual acts and the petitioner did not give constitutional arguments. Reasoned decision to follow.
Media
Balkanweb 'On Target': Durrës marina state contribution about 299.75 million EUR (claim)
Programme cites a Constitutional Court filing and argues that state land, tax and social housing contributions outweigh the investor's; Port Authority calls allegations unfounded.
Connections
Eagle Hills 67 percent holder of Durrës Yachts & Marina
Evidence: Balkanweb 2026 and Shteg: Eagle Hills 67 percent, ASDC 33 percent.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
Strategic investment status as a shield from procurement and tax rules (Durrës, Sazan, Karavasta)
Three energy and state-land projects show a similar structure: a state-linked status or a special law removes the normal competition or tax burden, while the state-side contribution is large and disputed. If linked to the same decision-makers, this would connect the Durrës marina (Law 79/2022, strategic status 2021), the Sazan resort (decision no. 23, 30.12.2024) and the Karavasta 2022 KESH deal to one approach by the same governing majority. The Balluku file (existing case-balluku-kesh-energy-allegations) covers the energy-ministry side.
Evidence for
- Balkanweb 2026: Durrës state contribution about 299.75m EUR; tax exemption in the 2022 law (OFFICIALLY_REPORTED for the law, UNDER_INVESTIGATION for the figures).
- AIDA April 2026 document: Sazan status under a special procedure for 10 years (OFFICIALLY_REPORTED).
- Bozdo 2026: Karavasta July 2022 deal bypassed competition and the free-market channel (UNVERIFIED).
Evidence against
- The Constitutional Court rejected the challenge to the Durrës law in February 2025 (VERIFIED).
- The Karavasta tender in 2020 was competitive per reporting; the alleged irregularity is the 2022 extension.
- No SPAK file on Durrës or Sazan found in this round; no shared decision-maker is confirmed in these sources.
- Investment Council data show many applications refused (30 of 108 per an undated article).
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 3 sources.
Source label: VerifiedVerified · 1 source
- Publisher
- A2 CNN
- Date
- 21 Feb 2025
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- Balkanweb
- Date
- 12 May 2026
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 1 source
- Publisher
- SHTEG
- Date
- 2024