Summary

This Corporate Governance Code for Unlisted Joint-Stock Companies in Albania (“the Code”) focuses on specificities of corporate governance for unlisted companies. Most unlisted companies are owned and controlled by a single individual or a coalition of company insiders (e.g., a family). Good governance of unlisted companies is concerned with the establishment of a framework of company processes and attitudes that add value to the business and help ensure long-term continuity and success. This Code is only a best practice reference for unlisted companies in Albania, aimed at designing a framework of best practices being over and above the minimum legal requirements. Thus, it is not a regulation that companies would be obliged to comply with. Also, it is not a soft-law document in relation to which companies will have to report if they comply with or to explain why they do not comply with it (“comply-or-explain” principle). Rather, it is an overview of the best practices in relation to governance of unlisted companies in the moment of its preparation, and it is intended to serve as reference and inspiration for Albanian companies to develop sound governance framework.