Political will missing for SAA implementation

In the Ministry of European Integrations, they have said that implementation of the SAA has already begun to bring about deep, though sensitive, political and economic reforms.

“The implementation of the SAA requires several years of life overall, so we can say that progress has been achieved because for the two years of the SAA, a considerable part of it has been implemented in Kosovo, but this did not make us feel comfortable in this direction because there is still much work left to be done”, the European Integration Ministry said.

In MIE, they have declared that there are challenges during this process, but that the important thing in their view is that institutions have commitment so that this agreement can move forward.

From the implementation of the SAA, other agreements, such as the entry into force of the Framework Agreement for Access to EU Programmes, which also opened the doors of co-operation to further and reconfirm the European Union as the biggest development partner for Kosovo, Express.

As far as Minister Hoxha's priorities are concerned, in addition to this agreement, the minister has said that the dynamisation of the integration process will be the priority

“As a country, we need to show commitment and seriousness in implementing priorities, promoting good governance and empowering rule of law, protecting competitiveness, improving the investment climate, and advancing employment and higher education policies. The European Reform Agency will be the basic document that will bring in the required reforms and therefore implement specific priorities, including the implementation of the SAA”, the Ministry of Integration's response said.

However, as far as the European Integration Ministry says progress has been made in terms of implementing the SAA, international relations and economic connoisseurs are expressed.

They estimate that from the moment the SAA enters into force, Kosovo is characterising the lack of political will for its implementation.

Professor of European Integrations Avni Mazreku. He has said the SAA has not yet been ratified by EU member states because of the yet undefinated final status Kosovo has.

“Since the signing of this agreement, considered the moment of the entry into force of this agreement on Kosovo, has characterised a lack of political will for its implementation”, Mazreku said of the Arbre.info.

According to him, early elections have also affected failure to implement it.

Kosovo has come up with an early election process, and therefore it has a bearing on what is called or is the process of implementing this agreement, but Kosovo must understand that in relation to the identification of the implementation of this agreement so fast is the process of Kosovo's EU membership”, he has stated.

Mazrek has also said that those who oppose the implementation of the SAA are also opposed to the Kosovo membership process in the European Union.

And Kosovo Business Alliance Chairman Agim Sahin says that despite this is the first contractual agreement between Kosovo and the European Union, there are many issues that have not yet moved.

The current “when Kosovo has signed such an agreement are many issues that have not yet moved from the country, amendments to certain laws or legislation that made this agreement easier to implement. You know that within five or seven years Kosovo should release all products imported from the European Union from customs duties”, he said.

According to him, with this agreement the country's citizens will have product releases, as they will be released from taxes.

“We say that if the aspect of the budget loss is taken is a challenge for the country, if competition is taken which comes from abroad which risks even more domestic production because of expensive policies it is still a challenge, but if we deal with positive aspects of it and we told the country's producers earlier they have the opportunity to take markets in the European Union this is a good opportunity for Kosovo. Citizens will have releases of their products every year and more because they are free from taxes coming from European Union goods and the quality of products increases because the competition of EU products will be more present in Kosovo”, he stated.

Sahin has said Kosovo still remains weak in competition for the causes of expensive fiscal policies, which have been passing business and local producer for years.

While economics expert Naim Gashi considers that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement makes trade more open between Kosovo and the European Union.

A portion of products not produced in Kosovo will be removed from customs duties, and in the next 10 years the customs tax on EU products coming into the Kosovo market will slowly be lifted”, he has said.

The European Union, through this agreement, says Gashi, will invest in increased local production capacities, in increasing institutional capacities so that Kosovo products can initially be competitive with the countries of the region, then with EU countries.

The “effect on Kosovo's economy in the next 10 years is expected to be about 60m euros less in access to Kosovo Customs, but the EU, through pre-membership instruments, will make investments in Kosovo's economy, in increasing its competitiveness capacity of 650m euros to increase Kosovo's competitiveness in proportion to European Union countries”, Gashi stated.

For implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement this year with a report, the Group for Jury and Political Studies has also emerged.

GSJP officials have criticised the country's institutions over the failure to implement the SAA National Implementation Plan, praising that out of 158 actions that have been previously undertaken by institutions, only 44 actions have been realised.

The researcher of the Group for Jury and Political Studies, Albana Merya, has shown that in the first six months of 158 actions as defined to be undertaken, only 44 have been performed.

“From the total assessment that we've made of the national plan for SAA implementation, for the first six months, 158 actions to take and only 44 actions have been carried out, so only one third of the total or 27 percent of total achievements have been predetermined. There have been actions that have been taken later, a certain number, but of 114 actions that have not been taken in time. Another conclusion that the Group for Political Juridical Studies has seen is that there is no literal co-ordination between institutions to achieve the work they have, they have always been left with the exact commitment they have included two, three institutions or two ministries of”, Meria has said.

According to her, if such a situation continues in the first six months, then SAA implementation will take a long time to implement to the end.

None of these institutions take on responsibility for these actions that have not been met. The Ministry of Integration is the ministry, which co-ordinates the whole process, but in itself each institution of obligations it has received has to fulfil and take responsibility for those actions because at the pace it is running so far, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement will take a lot of time to implement it by the end, it stated.

In order to successfully fulfil the obligations stemming from this agreement, the Kosovo government on 16 December of this year approved the SAA National Implementation Plan, tasking all institutions responsible for carrying out SAA duties.

The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo has entered into force on 1 April last year. The SAA creates a contracting report that imposes mutual rights and obligations and covers a wide number of sectors.

It will support implementation of reforms and provide Kosovo with opportunities to move closer to Europe.