7 minutes agoEPIK: Kosovo, last country in Balkans in rule of law
Periskopi(7 years ago)
(7 years ago)The latest report on Kosovo, and other Balkan countries, on the part of the European Commission was released on May 29th, 2019. The EPIK Institute, through a media statement, says that from their research, this report has two goals: One to appreciate the country's readiness to join the EU and two, to appreciate [...]
“As each year, after the report's publication, the ruling majority has chosen several positive sentences to say that the report has positively assessed governance in Kosovo, while the opposition and those who thought otherwise have done otherwise dealt with the negative assessments the report has made for the country.
In this form, Kosovo's society lost the opportunity to approach empirical and cold-headed discussion about a goal that brings us all together on the road to EU membership”, the EPI Community says.
In this context, it is said in communiqué, that we have chosen to undertake the next research to provide answers to some basic questions concerning the Kosovo Report 2019.
EPIC Research:
Can we find a way to measure the progress that has been made within a year in the integration process of Kosovo?
Where has greater progress been made, and where has there been greater impasses?
Can we quantify report findings?
Can we compare Kosovo to other Balkan countries?
Can we understand all the technical details of EU legislation, and present them in a simple and visual form?
After several weeks of research, we reached nine (9) key conclusions:
In 2019, Kosovo is estimated to have a limited “of EU membership preparation”, with the total number of scores of 1.8 out of a total of 5 points. Consequently, Kosovo was in place before the end, leaving Bosnia alone with 1.6 points.
Serbia, Montenegro and Northern Macedonia are “fronting” with a total of 3 points.
Albania, with 2.4 points, is among the two groups with 2.4 points. Consequently, this result puts Albania in the same category as the last countries in the Balkans -- Kosovo and Bosnia.
As for rule of law, chapter 23: judiciary and fundamental rights respectively, and chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security, Kosovo is the last country in the Balkans in readiness to join the EU.
In addition, Kosovo is the last country in the Balkans in chapter 8: competition policies and chapter 19: social policies and employment.
Kosovo shares the last country in the Balkans with Bosnia in the areas of environment and education.
By 2016, Kosovo has made relatively greater progress than other Balkan countries towards making obligations stemming from EU membership. However, this progress was only 0.2 points in scale of 5 points. This limited progress was marked by limited progress in chapter 1: The free movement of goods, chapter 6: the right of companies, chapter 15: energy, chapter 16: taxation, and chapter 32 financial control. This progress should not be understood as the excellent work of Kosovo institutions, but the poor work of other countries in the Balkans which have effectively suspended the reform agenda.
As for progress on the annual basis, compared with 2018 Kosovo has noted limited progress in chapter 6: the rights of companies, chapter 25: Science and Research, chapter 25: Education and Culture, chapter 28: consumer protection and health and chapter 32: financial control.
While the areas within which Kosovo has scored regress compared to 2018 are chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development, chapter 17: economic and monetary policies, chapter 19: social policies and employment.
Attached Find the Institute's Last Study EPIC for Country Report 2019.
