New country risk reports analyse risks for investors and business in Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Norway and Poland

Maplecroft’s latest European Country Risk Reports provide in-depth analysis of the key challenges facing companies operating or investing in Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Norway and Poland. They include a comprehensive breakdown of political risks, legal and regulatory developments, the economic climate, reputational risks stemming from human rights and labour rights, and environmental concerns.     

Country Risk Report - Albania

Political tensions are increasing in Albania in the lead up to parliamentary elections, which will go ahead in June 2013. The election looks set to be closely contested by the country’s two main political parties, the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the opposition Socialist Party (SP). Recent claims by the SP that the DP is planning to rig the results of the upcoming election raise the spectre of political standoff and unrest in June, should allegations of electoral fraud emerge. The perceived integrity of the nation’s parliamentary elections will also have significant influence over the speed at which the country can move toward membership of the EU.
Extreme exposure to the eurozone crisis combined with high levels of debt and key structural challenges mean that the Albanian economy is volatile. Reforms necessary to stabilise the macroeconomic environment appear unlikely to be adopted in the short term as the government is unlikely to jeopardise its re-election prospects by introducing unpopular policy initiatives.  According to the report, a number of investment risks arise as a result of the ongoing, albeit slow-paced, harmonisation of Albania’s environmental legislation with that of the European Union. While companies may find it difficult to comply with increasingly onerous requirements – due to necessary investments in control technologies, new internal procedures and/or skilled staff – the regulatory authorities are also likely to struggle to implement and enforce the new rules.

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