In the European Union, there is no complete agreement on the lifting of the punitive measures imposed on Kosovo. But, as a compromise, it is expected that these measures will be partially and gradually removed.
This is what Radio Free Europe learned from diplomatic sources in the bloc after discussions that took place on June 19 at the EU’s Political and Security Committee (PSC), where representatives of member states participated.
According to the sources, the majority of EU states were in favor of the complete lifting of the measures, as recommended by the bloc’s high representative for foreign policy and security, Josep Borrell, in the report that was submitted to the member countries on June 18, regarding the steps that Kosovo has taken to reduce tensions in the north inhabited by a Serbian majority.
In his report, as reported by Radio Free Europe, Borrell recommended that the measures be lifted from Kosovo, while Pristina should use this opportunity to act in order to reduce tensions and avoid uncoordinated actions. He made this finding after a detailed review of the steps that Kosovo has taken in fulfilling the specific criteria that the EU set for Kosovo in June 2023.
According to diplomatic sources, some EU countries have expressed that “the fulfillment of requirements by Kosovo has not been complete” and currently these countries do not agree that all measures should be removed from Kosovo.
The diplomats of the EU, with whom Radio Free Europe contacted, said that in the following days a statement on behalf of the EU can be expected, through which it will be announced about the readiness of the gradual and partial removal of measures against Kosovo.
There are still no details about which measures could be removed and which could not. However, EU diplomats are of the opinion that the measures related to the use of financial resources from the Pre-Accession Instruments (IPA), which have been suspended for Kosovo, will be removed first.
EU officials had discussed for the first time about the possibility of lifting the measures in April of this year, so they requested a report from Borrell.
The measures against Kosovo were decided a year ago as a response to the de-escalation of the security situation in the north of Kosovo, when the Albanian mayors – emerging from the elections that were boycotted by the local Serbs – began their duties in the municipalities in the north.
Among the measures of the EU are the temporary suspension of the work of the bodies of the Stabilization-Association Agreement. Kosovo is also not invited to high-level events and bilateral visits have been suspended, except for those that focus on addressing the crisis in northern Kosovo within the EU-facilitated dialogue.
The proposals submitted by Kosovo within the framework of the Investment Framework in the Western Balkans (WBIF) have not been presented for consideration by the board of this fund. New contracts where the Kosovo authorities are the beneficiaries are currently prohibited.
The authorities in Kosovo have insisted several times that they have fulfilled the requirements for the lifting of the measures and that the situation in the north of Kosovo has escalated, the Kosovo Serbs have had the opportunity to vote for the dismissal of the mayors of the municipalities and now, according to them, there is no reason to to keep these measures.
