VZCZCXRO2319
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHTI #0035 0151128
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 151128Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6551
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS TIRANA 000035 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM ECON ENRG SENV AL
SUBJECT: VLORE: CENTER OF CIVIC ACTION 
 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY:  The Citizen's Alliance for the Protection of the 
Vlore Bay, the "Vlore Alliance," an environmentally-focused civil 
society organization that works to protect Albania's central coast, 
has recently intensified efforts to push for reconsideration of 
large-scale oil storage and thermal power development in and around 
the Bay of Vlore.  While the economic benefits of these projects 
stand unchallenged, the Alliance continues to raise concerns over 
the environmental impact on the bay's flora and fauna, as well as 
the thriving local tourist trade.  This is a rare example of civic 
activism and grassroots democracy, seldom seen in Albania, 
particularly outside the capital city. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) A bustling city of 150,000, Vlore is the gateway to Albania's 
spectacular and undeveloped southern coastline and home to its 
deepest sea port.  Approval for the construction of a major thermal 
power plant was inked by then-Prime Minister Nano in 2003 and 
approved by local leaders following limited public debate.  Since 
that time, many citizens have become increasingly concerned 
regarding its environmental impact, and feel that their views 
continue to be inadequately addressed.  Nonetheless, ground was 
broken on this project north of the city, as well as for an oil 
storage depot, in 2007.  The thermal power plant is backed by 
international development financiers including the World Bank, the 
European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction 
and Development (EBRD). 
 
¶3. (U) Formed in early 2005, the Alliance has successfully raised 
awareness of its cause while failing to halt the project's 
development, leading it to use increasingly stronger tactics.  The 
organization's early protest actions included filing complaints with 
local officials, hosting press conferences, peaceful protests around 
town and in Tirana, and requests for meetings with World Bank 
officials.  In 2005 the organization collected 14,000 signatures in 
support of a referendum on development of the oil storage depot in 
Vlore, which was rejected by the Central Election Commission (CEC) 
because the project's site sits just beyond the city's border.  The 
CEC Chairman has also said that the project, which was approved 
nationally by Parliament, cannot be the subject of a local 
referendum. 
 
¶4.  (U) Recently the Alliance raised the bar, blocking the road from 
Vlore to the "Soda Forest," as the construction site is known 
locally.  (An old soda factory once stood in the forest where 
construction has begun.)  For nine days in late December and early 
January, 50 - 60 people, mostly students, camped out on the road, 
surrounded by tires and other large debris, forcing traffic to 
detour through the city's outskirts until local officials called on 
police special forces to forcibly remove them.  The protesters were 
jailed and released within hours.  There were some accusations that 
the police used excessive force, but contacts among the activists 
told Embassy that force had not been used. 
 
¶5. (U) In the context of Albania's energy supply and development, 
the 97 MW dual-source thermal power plant currently under 
construction is a particularly important project, as it will 
diversify Albania's near total reliance on hydro-generated power and 
ease the current strain on energy resources.  Currently 
approximately 97 percent of Albania's electricity comes from hydro 
power plants located in the north.  Due primarily to severe 
droughts, the country has suffered a severe energy crisis for the 
past two years, including power shortages and load shedding, and in 
2007 imported about 40 percent of electricity consumed.  The Vlore 
thermal plant would diversify the supply both geographically and by 
source of production, improving future prospects for Albania's 
energy self-sufficiency. 
 
¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Although the latest protest suggests shades of the 
more radical environmental movements of Western Europe, this is a 
home-grown initiative, although the Alliance received some technical 
advice from members of Croatia's Eko Kvarner Association.  It is an 
unusually well-organized movement which is rumored to have support 
from the tourist industry and residential land developers who are 
protecting their own interests.  A polluted bay or demolished 
wetlands would destroy further tourist potential in the area. 
Certainly Vlore's citizens have taken on the challenge of standing 
up to some industry giants and their own government with strong and 
well-coordinated action.  Their example of civic involvement is 
encouraging in an emerging democracy that is more often 
characterized by apathy than belief that ordinary citizens can 
affect change. 
CRISTINA