The EU decides on the lifting of restrictive measures against Kosovo

2024-05-03 12:10:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The EU decides on the lifting of restrictive measures against Kosovo

Peter Stano

The highest authorities of Kosovo are persistently asking the European Union to remove punitive measures, arguing that the de-escalation in the north of Kosovo has already taken place and there is no reason to continue with measures against Kosovo. But the European Union is still not moving in this direction. Apparently, even Pristina's constant calls for the lifting of the measures are not making an impression. The spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, said that for the removal of the punitive measures that the EU has imposed on Kosovo, the member states decide, not the Government of Kosovo.

EU member states will decide if and when the measures will be lifted

According to him, the holding of votes in the municipalities in the north of Kosovo on April 21, was one of several conditions that the EU decided for the removal of measures against Kosovo. "When we put the measures in place, we said that they are temporary and can be removed. But this decision is decided by the EU member states, not the Government of Kosovo. The measures were not put in place for just one reason, but for several. Discussions for this are ongoing in the EU and the member countries will decide if the measures will be removed and when, will they be removed in whole or in part", said the spokesperson Stano. According to the EU spokesperson, the decision on the possible removal of measures towards Kosovo requires a wider consensus throughout the EU.

The European Commission imposed punitive measures against Kosovo a year ago due to the escalation of the security situation in the north of the state, accusing the Kosovo government of uncoordinated actions in the north despite calls from the international community.

Criticism from Kosovo

The President of Kosovo Vjosa Osmani, after a meeting she held with the US ambassador to Kosovo Jeffry Vovenier, said that "the continuation of the measures is unfair and that Kosovo has met the conditions to finally remove them".

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, said after a government meeting, that the EU approved the Economic Growth Plan, worth 6 billion euros for the Western Balkans, one of the goals of which is the acceleration of the region's membership in the bloc. In this line, he says that "the punitive measures against Kosovo are unfair". On the other hand, we are continuing with our efforts to open up more opportunities within the reform dialogue with the EU. In this context, we have fulfilled all EU requirements for the removal of restrictive measures and these measures must be removed", said Prime Minister Kurti.

The EU is not convinced

But how do political analysts see the current situation and the Kosovo EU government reports, about their views on the measures. Political analyst Blerim Burjani told DW that the Kosovo government must convince the EU with facts to lift the measures. "The lifting of the measures is not happening because the EU is still not politically convinced and does not have faith in the Government of Kosovo that there will be a sustainable de-escalation. I consider that the Government of Kosovo, and especially the special unit, should be seen as little as possible in the north, and the government continues to contribute to stability in the north. The assessment of the situation in the north should be written to send the EU a statement of the situation that should be correct and factual reports. So, I think there should be objective reports to convince the EU. The EU is not convinced only with words and press conferences, but with detailed reports on the situation in the north," says analyst Burjani.

The punitive measures that the EU imposed on Kosovo in June of last year included the temporary suspension of the working groups for the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the suspension of the funding program for Kosovo, the non-invitation of Kosovo to high-level meetings except for meetings within of the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and the disapproval of projects from the Fund for Investments in the Western Balkans./ DW