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The government will impose mandatory licensing for agronomists, here's how it works

2026-06-04 14:59:00, Politikë CNA

The government will impose mandatory licensing for agronomists, here's how

The government has submitted for consultation a new draft law that provides for the creation of the Order of Agronomists and the establishment of mandatory licensing for the practice of the profession of agronomist in Albania. According to the draft law “On the Order of Agronomists in the Republic of Albania”, “no individual may practice the profession of agronomist in the Republic of Albania without being a member of the Order of Agronomists”. Also, professions related to agronomy will have to be registered in a special professional register.

The draft law stipulates that the Order of Agronomists will be a "non-budgetary public entity, with legal personality, independent in the exercise of its functions", with the task of administering the professional register, issuing, suspending or revoking the right to practice the profession, as well as supervising the respect of ethics and professional standards.

In the accompanying report, the Ministry of Agriculture argues that the agricultural sector contributes over 18% of the Gross Domestic Product and provides employment for around 40% of the active population, while the profession of agronomist has remained without a specific regulatory framework to date.

The accompanying document highlights that there is currently no mandatory database for agronomists, no specific mechanisms for sanctioning unprofessional practices, and a mandatory system of continuous professional development is lacking.

According to the report, the lack of institutional regulation has also affected food safety. The ministry refers to documented cases of misuse of pesticides, chemical fertilizers and phytosanitary products by persons without professional training, bringing products with chemical loads above the permitted limits of the European Union and cases of goods being returned for export.

The draft law also requires agronomists to document the technical recommendations they provide, guarantee the traceability of agronomic interventions, and maintain verifiable records of treatments and protocols implemented.

The report states that the creation of the Order of Agronomist aims to guarantee quality and professional competence through university graduation, state examination, continuous professional development and respect for the code of ethics.

One of the new functions of the structure will be the disciplinary mechanism. The draft law provides for measures ranging from a written warning to temporary exclusion from the Order for a period of up to three years. In addition, disciplinary committees will have the right to impose fines from 1,500 to 100 thousand lek for professional violations.

In institutional terms, the Order will cooperate with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Agricultural University of Tirana and other research and educational institutions in the sector. The draft law provides that the ministry will be informed every six months about memberships and disciplinary measures taken.

For the establishment of the new institution, the draft law provides for funding from the state budget for the first year of operation. According to the calculations presented in the report, the total cost for the first year amounts to around 42.3 million lekë, with the largest item of expenditure related to the creation of the electronic professional register.

After the first year, the Order of Agronomists is expected to be financed by membership dues, registration fees, service fees, and other legitimate sources.

The draft law provides that the first elections of the governing bodies will be organized by a temporary commission established by the minister responsible for agriculture, within 12 months of the law's entry into force./Monitor 





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