SAA grips and benefits, four years from signing

Kosovo is still failing to meet European agenda priorities. Recognisors of the issue say that since the year of the SAA signing, it has been noted in its implementation. Meanwhile, economy connoisseurs consider that Kosovo has not benefited enough economically.

Such a thing for Kosova Prees and economics connoisseur Mustafe Kadriaj, under which Kosovo has not resulted in major economic benefits, while stressing that it still continues to be much bigger than export imports.

Kadriaj: We haven't benefited economically (Video) “It's good that the economy shows up. In this case as long as we don't have export growth, but import growth that shows best that we haven't benefited economically, because we've become a country of import and transit. So, at least one export country, because the local economy is still an anemic economy on the part of competition at the level of a European market, when it is known what European market demand is, for a passing product, to be a product that can be sold”, Kadriaj claims.

In addition, Kadriaj says that despite Kosovo's having no economic advantage from the SAA, he has tried to implement this agreement to be correct even with the European Union. However, according to him, the latter has not assessed this in order to give the green light for visa liberalisation.

In contrast, Demush Shasha from the Kosovo Institute for European Policy (EPIK), in a written reply, has written that there has been an ongoing regrat in the number of reforms implemented on annual basis.

In 2016 the programme had 1,347 measures, out of which institutions managed to meet 741. In 2017 the program had 967 measures, out of which institutions managed to meet 600. In 2018, the programme had 532 measures, out of which institutions managed to meet 362”, Shasha tells Kosovas.

The Hoxha Ray of the Group for Jury and Political Studies shows that 64 per cent of the previous measures have been implemented by 2018, while 11 per cent of them have remained unmet. Failure to implement these measures, it says, is due to poor co-ordination among ministries.

It is important to understand that implementing the measures does not depend solely on a state institution of the Republic of Kosovo, so ministries should have good co-ordination. Regarding the implementation of these measures, it has been identified that poor co-ordination or co-ordination among ministries has caused these measures not to be implemented. Furthermore, some of these measures have been described as feasible since the beginning of their creation or have been described as too ambitious for the environment in which Kosovo is located at the moment. At the same time, the lack of will has been expressed in not implementing legislative measures”, Hoxha said in a written response.

As for the benefits Kosovo has received from this agreement, Demush Shasha considers they lie on four plains, including that policy, economic, financial and long-term reform.

“Political profit: The SAA has advanced Kosovo's status on its road to EU membership, establishing contractual and formal relations reports between Kosovo and the EU. In other words, the SAA has sealed Kosovo's strategic determination for EU membership and has launched the process towards EU membership. Economic benefits: The SAA has opened to Kosovo businesses the EU market of 500 million citizens. At the same time, the SAA has seen market liberalisation between Kosovo and the EU, thus offering cheaper prices and better products and services to Kosovo citizens. Financial benefits: Since the SAA's entry into force, Kosovo has benefited larger funds from the EU. In 2016 (MSA entry year), IPA assistance for Kosovo increased exponentially, from 222.71m euros in 2014-2016 to 379.46m euros in 2017-2020, Shasha says.

With the signing of the SAA, the Adriatic Stavileci from Kosovo Customs says that over the years there has been increasing Kosovo exports to European Union countries. According to him, this agreement has produced results in terms of Kosovo's export growth, but also import.

Stavileci stresses that export growth in Kosovo amounts to 10 per cent within the year.

Stavileci: We have increased exports to various countries (Video) “we have an increase in Germany's export of 27 per cent compared to the preliminary period, we also have growth in Italy a little bit more, of 155 per cent, so there are Kosovo products, which are being exported to Italy, we have growth in Croatia, we have growth in Denmark, we have growth in different Scandinavian countries, we have growth towards France and other European Union countries that are a very positive development for Kosovo”, says Stavileci.

In addition, Kosovo's export according to Stavileci still remains low compared to the value of import, however, as he says, the growth trend is positive.

He considers that all Kosovo businesses can export to European Union countries, but that the condition must be met for their products to be of origin from Kosovo.

We remember that the SAA is the first contractual agreement between Kosovo and the European Union that entered into force on April 1st 2016.

Through this agreement, the European Union seeks from a country aimed at EU membership, to ensure that its governing mechanisms and civil society meet EU standards.