ENFORCEMENT OF CHOICE OF COURT AGREEMENTS GRANTING INTERNATIONAL JURISDICTION TO ALBANIAN COURTS

This paper aims to critically analyse the formal and substantive validity of choice of court agreements in favour of Albanian courts. The provisions of the Albanian Private International Law and their implementation by Albanian courts are in the focus. However, considering that the Albanian Private International Law provisions are approximated with the EU acquis communautaire and since the provisions on choice of courts agreements are drafted in terms that are fully compatible with the Council Regulation 44/2001 of December 22, 2000 "On Jurisdiction, Recognition and Implementation of Judicial Decisions in Civil Matters and Trade" (Brussels I Regulation), the interpretation of the Albanian law provisions is also done in the light of the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. After a thorough analysis of the Albanian Private International Law provisions concerning choice of court agreements and of the Albanian case law, the paper concludes that they are not always interpreted and applied correctly and that the rich case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union can provide valuable guidance.