In July, transfer of subjects from EULEX to Kosovo authorities begins

The transition of all competencies from EULEX to local authorities, according to Kosovo Prosecutor's Representative, does not pose a challenge, because according to them, these institutions are already mature to function independently and without political interference and influence.

Prizren Constitutional Prosecutor's Chief Prosecutor, Syla Hoxha, in charge of media communication by the Kosovo Special Prosecutor, says prosecutors have already started accepting all subjects from EULEX.

Kosovo's “Procurory is ready to take over EULEX classes. They are largely on the basis of competencies taken by the Special Prosecutor of the Republic of Kosovo, but I believe that in general the prosecutorial system is now complete with Quadro. We have a sufficient number at the moment of prosecutors and have experienced prosecutors, so this will not be a challenge”, Hoxha said.

By early July of this year, prosecutors will begin with a review of the materials passed by EULEX. Hoxha's chief prosecutor says a failure has been observed since the beginning.

These substances are not coming to us completely complete. There are even cases when only copies of subjects, not the original, are sent to us. So there are subjects that are close to prescription”, Hoxha points out.

According to him, Kosovo prosecutors also have experience with subjects described as sensitive, including those of war crimes and high-level corruption.

Otherwise, as far as war crimes are concerned, we have already, two prosecutors who deal with the substances of this nature, then for organised crime and high-level corruption we are already working those subjects and for us does not present any challenge to”, Hoxha said.

He also said prosecutors from Kosovo are able to work without being subjected to political influences, citing cases from the past when charges were filed against senior officials, including ministers and ministers.

We've had cases to file charges for ministers as well as permanent secretaries or even for mayors. So we had no obstacle in that direction. I would not talk about the judicial system, I am competent as far as the prosecutorial system”, Hoxha told Radio Free Europe.

As of July 1st, when the EULEX mission is expected to pass on advisory missions, while local prosecution institutions are equipped with additional responsibilities, connoisseurs and justice system in Kosovo say this process could be full of challenges.

Ehat Miftaraj from the Kosovo Institute for Justice tells Radio Free Europe that local courts and prosecutors have noted increases in terms of human resources, but in professional terms, still questions remain.

That, according to him, has so far proved in a large number of high-level corruption cases, that they have not been able to treat them independently and impartially. As he says, this will be a major challenge in the future for institutions.

Even improvements in legal infrastructure are seen as necessary for increasing the efficiency of organs by the justice system.

The US State Department in published reports has sometimes criticised Kosovo institutions, saying the Government has not effectively implemented laws that enable the persecution of officials involved in corruption, and this phenomenon remains a serious problem.

About 400 judges and 197 prosecutors are currently engaged in the justice system in Kosovo.

However, a large number of subjects continue to remain unresolved in the courts.

On 4 June this year, Kosovo President Hashim Thaci has handed over to the European Union authorities the correspondence with EU foreign policy chief Federica Moghrini, with whom the EULEX mission's mandate is completed.

This mission had come to Kosovo after declaring the country's independence in 2008. The EULEX mission was set up to assist institutions, judicial bodies and law enforcement agencies in Kosovo.