Reports: EU has Plan B for Kosovo

According to German media reports, the EU is developing "a Plan B" for Kosovo. This would allow "a recognition of a declaration of independence based on UN resolution 1244." Reports: EU has Plan B for Kosovo It is reported that leading EU countries are speeding up a plan to allow a recognition of independence for the province without the need for a new UN resolution. Voice of America says that the so-called Plan B, as dubbed by daily Frankfurter Rundschau, effectively interprets resolution 1244 so broadly that it allows Pristina to declare independence, and other countries to recognize it. Without naming any sources, the paper writes that Plan B involves the UN Security Council discussing the matter, but not passing a resolution. "The UN Security Council president will provide help with a declaration that will justify a very broad interpretation of the old resolution," writes the paper. Allegedly, London, Paris and Berlin hope that those EU countries who have thus far been opposed to Kosovo independence, will not be able to object to the new interpretation of resolution 1244, which will allow the EU, as envisaged in the Ahtisaari plan, to take over the Kosovo mission. A potential split within the EU after a unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence and U.S. recognition are the key problem, as several EU members are against Kosovo independence, above all Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic. Janjic: EU must act quickly Dusan Janjic from the Forum on Ethnic Relations says that this is "a real problem that the EU has to resolve quickly." "It’s a question of whether the EU should take over control in Kosovo. If it does, it has to carry preparatory work, which involves appointing new diplomats and officials, and defining the status of a new civil mission that would number from 1,200 to 3000 people." "These are European security forces, that are supposed to replace military and police forces in Kosovo," the Serbian Kosovo analyst says. "It’s a real problem and is not part of the so-called Plan B, that’s an old idea whereby in calling for the operative mandate that UNMIK has in the report on its execution within resolution 1244, they get some form of tacit agreement or technical resolutions to the effect that an EU office or a similar institution will assume UNMIK’s duties," he adds. "A very narrow domain is at stake here, not what in effect constitutes status, which is that broader part that has to include a very clear definition of jurisdiction of the new mission. The international community has a few ‘Plan Bs’, but no unity." "One is the U.S.’s plan for a declaration of independence, one is the EU plan of some sort of division of sovereignty, whereby sovereignty over Kosovo would be transferred to the EU for a period of five, and maybe a further five years after that," says Janjic. "There is a third plan, the most obvious, where, with the Troika’s help, there would be an international conference on Kosovo, which would be fully in accordance with resolution 1244, but then it wouldn’t be a question of future, but final status for Kosovo," concluded Janjic.

Reports: EU has Plan B for Kosovo

It is reported that leading EU countries are speeding up a plan to allow a recognition of independence for the province without the need for a new UN resolution.

Voice of America says that the so-called Plan B, as dubbed by daily Frankfurter Rundschau, effectively interprets resolution 1244 so broadly that it allows Priština to declare independence, and other countries to recognize it.

Without naming any sources, the paper writes that Plan B involves the UN Security Council discussing the matter, but not passing a resolution.

"The UN Security Council president will provide help with a declaration that will justify a very broad interpretation of the old resolution," writes the paper.

Allegedly, London, Paris and Berlin hope that those EU countries who have thus far been opposed to Kosovo independence, will not be able to object to the new interpretation of resolution 1244, which will allow the EU, as envisaged in the Ahtisaari plan, to take over the Kosovo mission.

A potential split within the EU after a unilateral proclamation of Kosovo independence and U.S. recognition are the key problem, as several EU members are against Kosovo independence, above all Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic.

Janjić: EU must act quickly

Dušan Janjić from the Forum on Ethnic Relations says that this is "a real problem that the EU has to resolve quickly."

"It’s a question of whether the EU should take over control in Kosovo. If it does, it has to carry preparatory work, which involves appointing new diplomats and officials, and defining the status of a new civil mission that would number from 1,200 to 3000 people."

"These are European security forces, that are supposed to replace military and police forces in Kosovo," the Serbian Kosovo analyst says.

"It’s a real problem and is not part of the so-called Plan B, that’s an old idea whereby in calling for the operative mandate that UNMIK has in the report on its execution within resolution 1244, they get some form of tacit agreement or technical resolutions to the effect that an EU office or a similar institution will assume UNMIK’s duties," he adds.

"A very narrow domain is at stake here, not what in effect constitutes status, which is that broader part that has to include a very clear definition of jurisdiction of the new mission. The international community has a few ‘Plan Bs’, but no unity."

"One is the U.S.’s plan for a declaration of independence, one is the EU plan of some sort of division of sovereignty, whereby sovereignty over Kosovo would be transferred to the EU for a period of five, and maybe a further five years after that," says Janjić.

"There is a third plan, the most obvious, where, with the Troika’s help, there would be an international conference on Kosovo, which would be fully in accordance with resolution 1244, but then it wouldn’t be a question of future, but final status for Kosovo," concluded Janjić.