EP committee adopts draft on Kosovo

EP committee adopts draft on Kosovo

The European parliament committee adopted a draft resolution with 45 votes in favor, seven against, and two abstained. The document requires Pristina to implement structural economic reforms that would create jobs.

"We must give priority to the establishment and cooperation with a special court for war crimes in Kosovo, which will help it deal with its past," said a draft resolution quoted by the Beta agency. The EP plenary session should adopt the document in March.

The draft also stated that "preparations for a complete transfer of competences of EULEX to Kosovo authorities" should continue.

The committee "urges the remaining five EU member states to recognize Kosovo, because that would further facilitate the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina."

The document states that there has been progress regarding freedom of movement, while "Serbia and Kosovo" are invited to continue with the full implementation of the already achieved agreements, including the allocation of a special international telephone code to Kosovo.

The only strongly worded remarks during the debate came from independent French MEP Aymeric Chauprade, who said he would vote against because the document never mentioned that Albanians committed crimes against Serbs and that ethnic cleansing of Serbs had been carried out in that province, considering that more than 200,000 Serb "refugees" cannot return to their homes.

Austrian MEP Ulrike Lunacek, who is the rapporteur for Kosovo and who prepared the draft, responded by saying that "it must be understood what happened in Kosovo," since, as she noted, "the regime of former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic also committed crimes against Albanians."

To Chauprade's remark that Kosovo is "a hotbed of crime," Lunacek replied that crime exists "in other countries" and cited "a corruption trial concerning a bank in Austria."

According to the text of the resolution, Kosovo has achieved some progress in the justice system, although there are "strong concerns regarding the independence, accountability, impartiality and efficiency of judges, prosecutors and the Judicial Council of Kosovo."

The resolution "expresses concern about the lack of initial progress in the fight against corruption and organized crime, which is a substantial obstacle to the democratic, social and economic development of Kosovo."

One of the priorities of the new government is to set up "Kosovo's armed forces," the draft stressed, adding that "the principle of territorial defense is understood as part of national sovereignty."

The document pointed out that there have been "some achievements made in connection with the north of Kosovo, particularly with regard to mayoral elections held in the entire territory of Kosovo and a number of projects in the north, funded by the EU."

The committee emphasizes that "efforts should to create an alliance of Serb municipalities, which would make parallel structures even more superfluous," and requires "additional constant effort to move Albanian and Serbian communities closer."

It also welcomes the work of a special investigative team of EULEX and its report published in August 2014, "in which they presented credible evidence against certain former senior leaders of the Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, but not against the KLA as a whole."

In order to investigate the evidence of these crimes, it is added, the committee "welcomes the request for the creation of a special court to act within the Kosovo judiciary, but with the trial chamber located in the Netherlands."

The European parliament, said the draft resolution, "is concerned about the recent allegations of corruption within EULEX, but believes that EULEX has had and can yet have an important role in Kosovo."

Therefore the documents welcomes "the swift decision of EU High Representative Federica Mogherini" to appoint an independent expert with the task to investigate the allegations.

The EP urges Kosovo to adopt effective legislation for the media, "which will guarantee freedom of expression, and continues to be concerned about the threats and attacks against journalists."

The resolution "expresses strong concern about the recent increase in the number of citizens who leave Kosovo and go to EU countries, including the Roma, Ashkali, and Albanians".

The draft urges Pristina authorities "to effectively fight against criminal networks involved in human trafficking and clearly explain to the public that it is unlikely that asylum applications will be approved."