Second Environmental Performance Review of Albania

50 Part I: Policymaking, planning and implementationPhoto 4.1: Minaret in Kruja As concerns medium-term priorities, the Partnershiprequires Albania to:• Establish a full inventory of hotspots andcontinue efforts to address hotspots alreadyidentified;• Reduce pollution produced by the Balshrefinery, including discharges into the RiverGjanica, and take measures to tackle waterpollution in general;• Strengthen environmental monitoring and ensuresufficiently dissuasive sanctions againstpolluters;• Continue to implement regional andinternational environmental commitments.While outlining the priorities for internationalcooperation, neither the NSDI nor the ECS haveparticular chapters devoted to MEAs. However, thecountry’s international obligations are occasionallymentioned in different parts of both documents inrelation to matters considered of both national andglobal importance. In addition, the Strategic ActionPlan on Cross-cutting Capacity Issues for GlobalEnvironmental Management was produced in 2006 asa result of a national capacity self-assessmentexercise. The Action Plan was accompanied by apertinent analysis of capacity constraints, needs andpriorities for the implementation of the three Rioconventions on biodiversity, climate change anddesertification. Thus, despite the absence of a formalstrategy on international environmental cooperation,this theme is integrated into existing policy papers.This is judged sufficient for conveying the prioritiesof international environmental cooperation togovernmental institutions and other relevant parties.Legal frameworkAny ratified international agreement becomes anintegral part of the national legal framework afterpublication in the Official Journal. An internationalagreement that has been ratified by law prevails overthe other laws that might be in conflict with thatinternational agreement.Albania has put in place a system that requiresanalysis and consultation among Governmentagencies in relation to the implementation of the