There was no progress for Kosovo in terms of visa liberalisation following the publication of the European enlargement report for 2022, leaving the matter at the mercy of EU countries despite calls for urgency from the European Commission and Kosovo itself.
Kosovo remains the only potential candidate or actual candidate country and one of the few European countries whose citizens still need a visa to enter the EU, whether for leisure, work, or education.
“On visa liberalisation, the Commission stands by its assessment of July 2018, that Kosovo has fulfilled all the benchmarks. The proposal is still pending in the council, as you know,” Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said on Wednesday (12 October).
The accompanying report also stated that the country has fulfilled all visa liberalisation benchmarks and that the pending proposal “should be treated as a matter of urgency” by the Council.
However, this will do little to appease Pristina, which has been waiting for more than four years.
A visa liberalisation roadmap was launched in 2012, laying down reforms the country must make before it could be granted. In 2018, the Commission confirmed that Kosovo had met all conditions for visa liberalisation and it should be granted.
However, such a move requires the unanimous approval of all 27 EU member states, which is hard to come by considering that five EU countries still do not recognise Kosovo, while France has repeatedly blocked it.
Long and winding road
Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 after the 1998-1999 Kosovo war, which saw thousands of Kosovo Albanians killed and more than 1.5 million displaced. NATO bombing put an end to Belgrade’s onslaught, and the UN, plus EU and other international stakeholders, have helped the country build itself since.
However, five EU countries – Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia, and Spain refuse to recognise its independence, mainly due to their own territorial disputes.
Kosovo is currently recognised as a potential candidate for accession and Kosovo’s parliament passed a resolution in March requesting that the government “take all necessary steps to join NATO, European Union, Council of Europe and other international organisations”.
In June, Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that he planned to formally submit an application for membership by the end of the year – news that was not well received by Serbia.
Intensified efforts needed
The latest country report stated that Kosovo has made progress but needs to “intensify its efforts to strengthen democracy, public administration, the rule of law and to fight corruption”.
Citizens remain staunchly pro-EU, pro-West and pro-NATO, and reforms, particularly under Kurti, have been broad and far-reaching in improving issues like migration, crime, and the rule of law.
The report stated that during the last year, Kosovo enjoyed political stability and the “political environment has been conducive to Kosovo stepping up its efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law, to fight corruption and to intensify legislative activities, including on EU-related reforms.”
It also observed a healthy environment in the parliament, well-administered and transparent elections, and an active and engaged civil society, things often missing in many of its neighbouring countries.
The report also asked Kosovo to step up cooperation on war crimes issues with Serbia, the recovery of victims, and strengthening laws on domestic violence, gender equality, and the rights of children and minorities.
No progress without normalisation
Another key issue in the report is the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
“Kosovo needs to engage more constructively and make further substantial efforts on the implementation of all past agreements and contribute to reaching a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement with Serbia. Such an agreement is urgent and crucial to enable Kosovo and Serbia to advance on their respective European paths,” it states.
Kosovo and Serbia have been engaged in talks backed by the EU for 11 years and out of the handful of agreements signed, few have been implemented. Kurti has insisted on full reciprocity on many matters in an effort to assert the country’s sovereignty.
“Normalisation is important and crucial to enable Kosovo and Serbia to advance on their respective EU policies,” said Commissioner Varhelyi, adding that “we need full engagement from both in a constructive way to make this dialogue successful.”
One of the main sticking points, asides from recognition which has never been on the table, is Serbia’s request to establish an Association of Serb Municipalities – an ethnic-Serb-backed structure with full autonomy in Kosovo while not being under the remit of Pristina.
The Kosovo government has ruled this out following a Constitutional Court ruling that dismissed it as unconstitutional and has said the association can be formed but cannot have executive powers.
Another issue that requires attention is that of licence plates. Pristina is set to require all Kosovo citizens to use licence plates issued by the government, something impacting ethnic Serbs in the north, who remain loyal to Belgrade. The new rule is set to enter into force at the end of October.
