Government Expects EULEX to Leave

According to them, the European Union does not need to continue the EULEX mandate, because local institutions are already ready to assume and exercise all responsibilities from the area of justice and rule of law.

Mission EULEX, one of the European Union's largest missions, extended to Kosovo just days before Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence to help the new state in the field of rule of law and rule of law.

Kosovo Government Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri told Rel that Kosovo is entering a phase where it can govern the country without the need for missions, as is EULEX.

“We are entering the 10th anniversary of EULEX's stance and the work of this mission in Kosovo. EULEX has done an extraordinary job in strengthening and developing Kosovo's state capacities. But now consider that the Republic of Kosovo has managed to build its capacities strong enough to govern the country, and such capacities that we have built are enough to govern Kosovo”, Tahiri said.

The EULEX mission in Kosovo was renewed in 2016. Authorities in Kosovo at the time had declared that they are working to complete their work within the two-year deadline.

Minister Tahiri, says EULEX completes its mandate in June 2018 and that the country's institutions can rule alone without international missions, only more counciling international friends.

“We as the Government of Kosovo next year have shared additional tools for both the Judiciary Council and the Prosecutorial Council so that all those prosecutors, judges who have been replaced, and there are sufficient judges and prosecutors to be replaced in all institutions and that there is no lack of human resources or lack of professional staff<1>, Tahiri says.

On the other hand, President of the Supreme Court of Kosovo Enver Peci also stresses that the mission EULEX after a good job it has done in Kosovo must complete the mandate.

Kosovo Judge “has the necessary professional energy and capacity to deal successfully with the challenges he has. I want to state that mission EULEX must be completed after the time has come for Kosovo to face its problems as an independent and sovereign state”, Peci said.

The EULEX mission in Kosovo has not escaped criticism from representatives of civil society in Kosovo. This mission has been consistently described as not very efficient in treating cases of serious crime, in particular those of organised crime and high-level corruption.

Unlike state institutions, Betim Musliu, director of the Kosovo Institute for Justice, thinks the EU can continue its EULEX mandate again. He told Radio Free Europe, that expectations are for the mandate to continue this mission, though, according to him, such should not happen.

“Based on what is expected to happen in Kosovo, which relates to the Special Court (for war crimes), I estimate that EULEX's mandate will be extended. But should it be extended? I think it should not be extended and should not have the task it has had so far, which has been the mandate to fight some characteristic criminal acts, because until now there is no result which is vulnerable and has helped Kosovo wage a worthy fight against criminality”, Musliu said.

Legal actions, according to Musliu, that will be undertaken in relation to the Special Court, will require a representative who will support the entire process for those cases.

By contrast, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has recently declared that the time of international foreign missions in Kosovo has passed and that the time has already come, when Kosovo institutions “should be brought home god to their country”.

During these years of operation in Kosovo, Mission EULEX has been the topic of debate over some relatives in Brussels as well.

Lastly, the European Union has confirmed investigations into corruption allegations in the EULEX mission. Investigations are under way against former EULEX judges chief Malcolm Simmons, who has already resigned. Similarly, the EU is also investigating the allegations Simmons has made against EULEX for corruption within this mission.

While EULEX is investigating the already dismissed judge, also Simmons has accused the European Union's Mission for Rule of Law in Kosovo EULEX of failing to fight corruption, reasoning this inaction with the preservation of stability” in Kosovo as a still fragile state.

Malcom Simmons' resignation presents the second case, after which the issue of corruption in EULEX opens. Similarly, the prosecutor from this mission, Maria Bamieh, had accused her colleagues of taking bribes, which cost her discharge.

In recent years, EULEX's mission has been transformed by taking the character of an advisory, monitoring and mentoring mission for Kosovo institutions in the field of security and justice.