Kosovars in trouble, patents not being recognised in EU countries

International non-recognition of Kosovo personal documents has become a major concern for many Kosovo citizens living abroad.

Osman Berisha from the town of Malisheva in Kosovo, which now lives in Italy for three years, says he is not recognised as a patent driver by Italian authorities, which he says is a problem that is generally being conveyed to Kosovo citizens living in Italy.

The problem and concern of many citizens I know living in Italy is not knowing Kosovo's driver license. In most cases, when local police stop us, they take our license and give us sentences that are nearly unbearable. Some people I know have received sentences from Italian police because when they were detained, they had the Kosovo driver's license”, Berisha relates.

He says there have been tolerances in the past even by local police, but now every person who is banned and has Kosovo's license, they immediately seize it.

I have societies here in Italy that are from Moldova and Albania and that they are known as the country's driver's license. Those with driver's license can drive to Italy. I've even talked to the Kosovo Embassy here in Italy, they know about this problem, but I'm told there's nothing to do. If they don't have what to do, what do we do?!”, Berisha adds.

Authorities in Kosovo say negotiations have been under way since 2013 with some of the European Union countries reaching reciprocal agreements on international recognition of Kosovo's personal documents -- namely, for recognition of patents.

Kosovo Government Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Izmi Zeka tells Radio Free Europe that both with other EU states and Italy have failed to reach a final agreement for patent recognition.

“Since 2013 we have been negotiating with various states, starting with Austria, Italy, Slovenia, Croatia and others, but we have not reached any agreements so far. Recent negotiations with Italian authorities have been in August, but we still have nothing official for a reciprocal agreement to recognise patent-friends”, Zeka notes.

He adds that as the minister, they have made the necessary commitments for patent recognition and that they do not know the reasons for the countries' failure to reach these agreements.

“We, as the minister, have done all we can to reach agreement and are aware of the problems our citizens live with in these”, Zeka points out.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs, under its efforts to recognise the personal documents of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo, has so far signed agreements with the Republic of Albania and North Macedonia.

According to these agreements, contracting parties mutually recognise the replacement, converting the patent partners/leaves of valid direction, issued by competent authorities of the other contracting parties, in accordance with their domestic legislation, in favour of patent holders/directes of direction, who have acquired the right to the legal location of the normal residence on their country's territory.

In February of this year's Minister of Internal Affairs in the Government of Kosovo, Ekrem Mustafa, had submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requests for taking the recommendation for approval in principle with EU states for mutual recognition of patent partners.

Minister Mustafa had demanded that between the Government of Kosovo and the Governments of the German Federal Republic, the Helvetic Confederacy, the French Republic and the Republic of Montenegro, the initiative be launched for mutual recognition of patents.

Free Europe Radio has contacted foreign affairs ministry officials, but has failed to get any answers to the issue.

Altin Kelmendi, who has been living in Italy since 2007.

There are many people driving with Kosovo's driver's license here in Italy, but as soon as Italian police forbid the patent was seized and the sentences initially amounted to 150 euros, but if the item goes to court then the sentence amounts to 9 thousand euros”.

“We are not asking to be fully recognised as Kosovo's driver's license, but to be allowed to be tested solely for driving and not on the theoretical side, since many Kosovo Albanians here in Italy do not know the language well enough to manage Italy's constitutional state of”, Kelmendi says.

By contrast, the Ministry of Internal Affairs last year has launched a new designer license partner who is equipped with the latest document safety technology and in line with European Union directives.