If the Assembly is disbanded, Kosovo risks losing over 90m euros from IPA funds

Even the Kosovo Assembly is expected to be dissolved within days.

And this has left a lot of bills unskilled, KTV reports.

Among them is the “Bill for ratification of the Financial Agreement for IPA 2018”

According to Demush Shasha from the Institute EPIK, the loss of 90.5m euros in funds from the European Union is at stake.

“in this direction should be underlined that the deadline for ratification of the IPA 2018 agreement is December 31st 2019. Consequently, ratification of the agreement could be made by the next Parliament legislature. However, this scenario would require the provision without delay of the Parliament. In this context, the failure of the agreement by the current legislature or delays in the constitutionalisation of the next legislature before December 31st, 2019 risks losing 90.5m euros”, Shasha said.

Furthermore, Shasha has written that Kosovo has created a trend of loss of funds in the EU, where in August 2018 it has lost over 43m euros, and in June 2019 about 12m euros.

Meanwhile, KTV sources say that one of the reasons that have come to the delays in the IPA vote is that the legal office of the Ministry of Integration has delayed a legal opinion on the bill because it would be voted in earlier.

The LDK is the only party that has demanded that IPA funds be voted in prior to the dissolution of the Parliament.

Shasha has also spoken of the appointment of the Commissioner for Information and Private. He has said parties are dragging this process.

“As far as the Commissioner for Information and Privateness is concerned, there has been efforts by the ruling parties to continue apprehending independent institutions. Following concerns raised by civil society and the media, the first competition was cancelled. However, ruling parties have deliberately stalled the commissioner's appointment to ensure his failure”, Shasha has said.

Meanwhile, it is not only these jobs that were not performed by the Assembly of Kosovo.

According to the Kosovo Institute for Justice, the Assembly at the spring session has fulfilled its agenda only 18 per cent.

Even last year, the Kosovo Assembly has had a low percentage of meeting the legislative agenda. KDI, in report for the Parliament's work, stresses that only 42 per cent of the agenda has been fulfilled during 2018.