Kosovo’s progress on the European Union agenda has been hindered by divisive domestic politics and the political deadlock following the February 9 parliamentary elections, despite the country’s continued commitment to the European path and high levels of public support.
This is stated in a draft of the EU Progress Report for Kosovo for 2024, obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
The EU prepares these reports for countries seeking membership in the European bloc. Unlike other Western Balkan states, Kosovo does not yet have candidate status, although it applied for membership in December 2022.
The document notes that Kosovo has voluntarily aligned its foreign policy with that of the European Union, signaling a clear commitment to EU values — a step that has been highly welcomed.
Among other points, the draft report mentions that the European Commission has begun the initial steps toward the gradual lifting of punitive measures.
Kosovo was subjected to EU sanctions in the summer of 2023, as the bloc assessed that Kosovar authorities had not done enough to prevent unrest in the Serb-majority north.
“Further steps will depend on continued de-escalation in the north. The Commission aims to lift financial measures once there is a regular transfer of local governance in the north, following the elections held.”
In the local elections held on October 12, the Serb List—the largest political party representing Serbs in Kosovo, backed by Belgrade—won in the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north: North Mitrovica, Zvečan, Leposavić, and Zubin Potok.
These municipalities had been led by Albanians since 2022, after Serb mayors and other Serb officials resigned from Kosovo’s institutions in protest against decisions made by the Government of Kosovo.
A report published in May by the Institute for Advanced Studies (GAP) in Pristina revealed that the EU’s punitive measures had cost Kosovo about €613.4 million in suspended or indefinitely delayed projects. Of this amount, €7.1 million was lost entirely. The most affected sectors were environment, energy, digitalization, and culture.
The draft EU report also refers to the EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia on the normalization of relations. Both countries are urged to implement all obligations arising from the Agreement on Normalization, reached in 2023, and its implementation annex agreed in the same year.
Kosovo is specifically called upon to engage in finding long-term solutions to ensure that all communities have access to basic public services, in line with the dialogue commitments launched in 2011.
High-level dialogue was last held in September 2023, while technical meetings between the parties have continued without achieving a concrete agreement.
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Criticism of Serbia
In the section on Serbia, the report notes that although the country has opened 22 out of 35 chaptersin its EU accession negotiations, it must take greater responsibility for proactive and objective communication during the process and avoid anti-EU rhetoric.
“The polarization of Serbian society has deepened due to the mass protests organized by students and other citizens since November 2024, reflecting public frustration over issues such as corruption and perceived lack of transparency and accountability, accompanied by cases of excessive use of force against protesters and pressure on civil society.”
Serbia is also criticized for failing to align its foreign policy with that of the EU and is urged to move closer to the bloc.
“The rapid granting of visa-free travel rights in the EU for Russian citizens by giving them Serbian citizenship presents potential security risks for the EU,” the report states.
Serbia remains the only Western Balkan country that has not imposed sanctions on Russia for its war in Ukraine and continues to maintain close ties with Moscow.
The report also criticizes Serbia for attempts to undermine judicial independence, thereby weakening the rule of law and democracy, as well as for restrictions on freedom of assembly and expression.
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Rapid Progress in Albania
The European Union highlights that the enlargement process is advancing at the fastest pace in the past 15 years, with 11 intergovernmental conferences held since early 2024, five of them with Albania.
Albania is noted for its significant progress in reforms, having rapidly opened negotiations in five clusters of chapters.
“This reflects Albania’s strong commitment. The country has continued to make progress in reforms, particularly in the comprehensive justice reform and with the completion of the vetting process,” the draft report states, also noting the achievements of the Special Anti-Corruption and Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office (SPAK) in tackling corruption cases, its active international cooperation against organized crime, and the development of financial investigation capacities.
The report further notes that Albania has expressed its ambition to complete all accession negotiations by 2027, and that the European Commission is committed to supporting countries in meeting the necessary membership conditions, emphasizing that the process is based solely on merit.
Among other Western Balkan countries, Montenegro is also recognized for its notable progress.
Montenegro is described as the country that has advanced the most in the EU accession process, having opened nearly all required chapters and closed seven of them.
Like Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina are praised for aligning their foreign policies with that of the EU.
In the section on North Macedonia, the report notes that the country has not yet adopted the necessary constitutional amendments to include in its Constitution the residents living in border areas who identify with other nationalities, including Bulgarian.
According to the draft, the Macedonian authorities have continued to work on strengthening the rule of law, public administration reform, the functioning of democratic institutions, and the protection of minorities.
“North Macedonia must intensify efforts to support the rule of law, especially to preserve judicial independence and integrity, and strengthen the fight against corruption.”
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Bosnia and Herzegovina and Other Candidates
Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the report mentions domestic tensions throughout 2024 due to actions by Republika Srpska, the Serb entity, including the adoption of laws later overturned by the Constitutional Court.
“The country must take relevant steps to hold the first intergovernmental conference, starting with the adoption of justice reform and the appointment of a chief negotiator.”
Among other EU aspirants, Moldova and Ukraine are praised for their progress (despite Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia), while Georgia is criticized for significant backsliding.
Turkey also faces criticism, despite having held EU candidate status since 1999.
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A Stronger, United Europe
The European Union emphasizes that geopolitical challenges have reinforced the idea of a united Europe and that Europeans must do more to protect their values.
“This can only be achieved by working closely with our neighbors to create a strong, stable, secure, and united Europe based on shared democratic values. In today’s world, enlargement policy is the main geopolitical tool contributing to shared security and prosperity,” the draft report says.
The document further stresses that while future member states prepare for the responsibilities of membership, the EU itself must adapt to a larger family and carry out the necessary internal reforms.
Croatia remains the last country to have joined the European Union, in 2013.
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty