The European Union thanks Ambassador McGurk for his report and reiterates in strong support for the valuable work of the OSCE Mission across its mandated areas and for the contribution to a safe and secure, democratic, prosperous and multi-ethnic Kosovo*.
2. We welcome the Mission’s activities on promoting inter-community relations and stress the need for continued coordination with relevant stakeholders to protect the rights of persons belonging to minorities and persons in vulnerable situations. This entails ensuring voluntary returns, their safety, protecting their property rights, including against contentious expropriations, and preserving their cultural and religious heritage, such as through the Special Protective Zones. Engagement with civil society remains vital to enhancing inter-ethnic relations and promoting dialogue.
3. We commend the Mission’s continued assistance in strengthening Kosovo’s democratic institutions and enhancing public safety, the rule of law, and transparent and inclusive good governance. We value its contributions to enhancing Kosovo’s inter-institutional cooperation on security challenges and addressing risks related to trafficking in human beings, violent extremism leading to terrorism, organised crime and corruption, as well as hate crimes, attacks against journalists and public defamation campaigns. We also appreciate the Mission’s contribution to reviewing legal and policy acts and its engagement in the EU-funded OSCE Regional Trial Monitoring Project in the Western Balkans.
4. We welcome the election of Ms. Justina Shiroka Pula as President by the Assembly of Kosovo, following a prolonged political impasse, and call on all institutions to renew focus on the much-needed EU-related reforms. In this regard, we are deeply concerned about the Law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo, which goes against Kosovo’s international obligations, and underline the need for a coordinated effort to address this issue with Kosovo. We call on Kosovo to fully and unconditionally comply with it international obligations to safeguard the independence, impartiality and judicial integrity of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as its commitment to ensure accountability and deliver justice to the victims and their families from all communities in Kosovo.
5. The EU values the Mission’s monitoring and early warning efforts, particularly given the fragile and complex security environment in the north of Kosovo. We appreciate its good cooperation with partners on the ground, including the EUSR/EU Office in Kosovo, EULEX, KFOR, and the UN, in support of multilateral efforts aimed at de escalating tensions and implementing obligations under the EU-facilitated Belgrade Pristina Dialogue.
6. The EU continues to closely monitor developments in the north of Kosovo. We note with concern the persisting tensions between local and central authorities detailed in the Report. The EU regrets the decrees by the former Acting President following the decisions by the Kosovo Prosecutorial Council and Kosovo Judicial Council to accept the already withdrawn resignations of Kosovo Serb judges and prosecutors. The EU calls on all actors to restore conditions for a multi-ethnic judiciary, in full compliance with the law and Dialogue commitments. We also reiterate the need to finalise the cases of the attack against KFOR troops in Zvečan in 2023, the Banjska/Banjskë attack in 2023 and the Zubin Potok canal explosion in 2024, and regret that Serbia has not cooperated in investigation and prosecution of these acts and has still not taken the necessary measures to bring those responsible to justice.
7. There is no alternative to the EU-facilitated dialogue. The Agreement on the Path to Normalisation and its Implementation Annex, adopted in February and March 2023, offers a clear platform for advancing the normalisation of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. The obligations stemming from this agreement, its implementation annex as well as all previous agreements remain valid and binding, have been integrated into the respective European paths of both Belgrade and Pristina, and their implementation is essential for the stability of the entire region. We reiterate our call to fully implement all obligations and past commitments without delay or preconditions.
8. Finally, while reaffirming its strong interest in the region's political and security consolidation, the EU remains determined to continue assisting Kosovo towards lasting stability and prosperity and stays committed to Kosovo’s European perspective. Taking into account the significant budget cut in the 2026 budget of the Mission and the measures it has already undertaken to implement efficiencies and prioritize its activities, the EU underlines its support for the Mission to be adequately financed and to enable it to fully implement its mandate. We wish you, Mr McGurk, and your team success in the work ahead.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.