The Council of Ministers has approved some changes and additions to the basic decision
for identity documents of Albanian citizens,
officially including in the regulatory framework the procedures and
the method of distribution of electronic identity cards.
The new decision, undertaken at the proposal of the Minister of Internal Affairs and in support of the Constitution and the law “On electronic and digital identity cards of Albanian citizens”, completes the decision of the Council of Ministers no. 253, dated 27.4.2007.
According to the approved text, the phrase “, ... as well as the method of distribution ...” is added to the title of the basic decision, expanding the scope of the decision. By adding point 2/1, annex no. 3 attached to the decision, which concretely regulates the manner in which the distribution of electronic identity cards will be carried out for citizens.
Meanwhile, point 2/2 defines the official terminology that will be applied throughout the entire administrative process. In order to clarify the powers and procedures, the new act defines the main notions.
The responsible authority is the joint stock company in charge of the production and distribution of biometric documents. While the distribution of the electronic identity card is the process of making available and securely delivering the document to the legal holder, after the application and personalization phases have been completed.
The application office is the structure administered by the responsible authority. Within the country, this structure is organized in cooperation with the local self-government units, while outside the territory of Albania, in cooperation with the ministry responsible for foreign affairs.
The new framework according to Annex 3, from the place of withdrawal to physical disability
Annex no. 3 attached to the decision determines that the distribution of the electronic identity card is carried out, as a rule, in the same application office where the procedure was carried out. However, in order to facilitate the access of citizens, the responsible authority can also define other premises, provided that the safety standards are respected.
The document is personally withdrawn by the applicant in accordance with technical protocols. The Act also provides for the drafting of detailed technical procedures for:
Offices inside and outside the country (near diplomatic and consular missions);
Other approved special facilities;
Cases of physical or objective impossibility of the citizen to retrieve the document at the designated offices.
The new regulation sets out precisely what happens to ID cards that are not withdrawn by applicants. It provides that these documents will be kept by the structures of the responsible authority for at least 12 months from the date of production, but no later than December of the year following the year of production.
After the end of this period, the responsible authority registers the documents that have not been withdrawn and proceeds with their destruction according to the legislation in force.
For applications made abroad, the offices near diplomatic missions and consular posts will send the documents not withdrawn within 12 months through the postal route to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, which then hands them over to the authority responsible for carrying out the disposal.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the joint stock company responsible for the production and distribution of biometric documents are directly responsible for the implementation of these changes. The normative act enters into force immediately after its publication in the Official Gazette.
