Apostolova: You can't make reforms by appointing people without credibility in higher positions

The chief of the European Union in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, has said Thursday in Pristina that they will be very vocal for political appointments being made at the helm of independent agencies in Kosovo.

At a discussion table for implementation of the Agency for European Reform, the EU representative in Kosovo has said that reforms cannot be developed unless there is credibility for persons who assume high positions.

The Group for Jury and Political Studies, the GAP Institute and the Pristina Institute for Political Studies has presented today's 2018 monitoring report on ERA1.

The European Union's representative in Kosovo, Natalia Apostolova, citing some priorities within the framework of ERA1 that have not been met, spoke of the appointments at the helm of independent agencies, which she said were not in line with EU high values.

There are some priorities within the ERA 1 that are not fulfilled, and here I want to highlight some of them, which are very important for Kosovo's development. For example, under the pillar of governance, the selection process on non-political grounds, we are very loud and I promise to remain loud in all these appointments that we consider to be out of line with European high values. I'm not going to comment on this, and we know what we're talking about, but this is important because if we don't have credibility that people who are going to take these high positions, with which responsibility will be important for reforms that will develop, then what reform we're going to develop, so support us in this direction<1>, she said.

Apostolova said that despite delays in implementation, ERA1 has turned out to be productive for Kosovo.

She said Kosovo is awaiting progress report, and launching ERA 2.

We're in a moment for beginning, launching of ERA 2л and I think we will have a ceremony, where political conditions will allow, I'm talking about the tariffs that have been set, and which at the moment are attracting some of those ceremonies that we would like to hold”, she said.

While Presenter Hoxha, Minister for European Integration, said ERA1's implementation has stalled in some parts even because of political problems with the neighbouring state, which, as a result, has failed to finalise several international agreements.

There are some of the international agreements we have failed to finalize because of the political problems we have with the neighbouring state, and then it turns out some of the RA priorities have not been fully implemented. We've done everything, we've been trying to accomplish these -- yes, but still the will hasn't been on the other hand, so these deals can be passed”, Hoxha said.

Gerrie Williams, ambassador of the Netherlands Kingdom in Kosovo, was also at the discussion table. It had some orders for Kosovo institutions and people.

We can't hand things over to you on a silver lining. Work will be done in Kosovo and a part of the government and the Assembly, civil society, citizens, but even the business community has a central role in this. All of this has to go side by side with other people, it's complex but you're not the first to do these complex things, learn from others, there are many examples that we have around us, and as an international community, and following leadership from the EU at the top, we member states here are to assist, work for you we can't do, you have to do”, said Willems.

Monitoring the implementation of the Agency for European Reform, which was conducted by three civil society organisations, has been aimed at assessing achievements and impasses within the ERA.

The report finds that the biggest impasses involve legislation in the Assembly, about regional energy and transport agreements, as well as implementation of curriculums in schools.

Also, according to the report, the lack of political will for promoting the process is one of the problems identified, kp broadcasts.

The organisations recommend that the Ministry for European Integration at meetings to be held at the commissions in the Assembly exercise its pressure as the minister, where it holds the monitoring role of this agenda.

Also, organisations propose that the Commission for European Integration in the Republic of Kosovo make an internal analysis of where the reason for continued delays lies.

We remember that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement is the first contracting agreement between Kosovo and the European Union, and since the same is quite challenging in realisation, the Government of Kosovo and the European Commission had drafted the agenda for European Reform.