This document presents the implementation of the Reform Agenda step establishing a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework for science, scientific research and innovation in line with European Research Area (ERA) policies. Through the adoption of Law No. 109/2024 and its implementing legislation, Albania has established, for the first time, an integrated framework governing the organisation, financing, monitoring and evaluation of scientific research, while introducing clear standards for research governance, research integrity, open science and researcher career development.
The new framework introduces mechanisms for competitive research funding, performance-based evaluation of research institutions and researchers, the establishment of Centres of Excellence, a national register of research institutions and researchers, and the implementation of open science principles. The reform strengthens Albania’s national research and innovation ecosystem, enhances the quality, transparency and accountability of scientific research, and supports the country’s integration into European Union research programmes and the European Research Area.