Serbia continues to breach CEFTA Kosovo warns measures

Serbia's state is continuing to violate the Central European Free Trade Agreement, which is recognised by the CEFTA February, says Minister of Trade and Industry in the Government of Kosovo Vesel Krasniqi.

To solve this problem, Krasniqi shows that on Thursday, he has asked CEFTA director Emir Djikiq, who pressures Serbia to implement the agreement, on the contrary, he says, Kosovo will take measures, not to show what measures it is about.

CEFTA is an international agreement established by the European Union, aimed at facilitating the trade exchanges of Western Balkan countries.

Minister Krasniqi has called for the appointment U n NMIK-Kosovo to be removed and only to be Kosovo, to implement the agreement on the sign of confirmation and to recognise professional qualifications. He has also called for pressure on Belgrade that Kosovo businesses and products have no obstacles when transitors through Serbia.

Confirmation sign

In the Kosovo market, goods imported by CEFTA member states should be introduced on the sign of confirmation, placed on products, which is CE sign.

Through the CE sign, the manufacturer shows that the product is in the suit of security and health, according to standards required by the European Union.

The CE certificate applies to all European Union countries.

But, Serbia's goods have no sign, Krasniqi says.

“While the neighbouring state Serbia does not implement this and the goods coming from Serbia are with three AAA (a sign of Serbian products), it is a violation of the agreement they are not allowed to enter Kosovo”, Krasniqi says.

Besides CEFTA, I have also raised this issue to Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, I have sent a letter to the American Office in Kosovo, the Office of the European Union. We are awaiting reflection, on the contrary I will implement the agreement because we cannot wait indefinitely for”, he adds.

Even on the basis of the Law on Technical Needs for Products and Confirmity Ratings, adopted in 2018 by the Kosovo Parliament, Kosovo Customs could suspend the release of a free-flow product in the market, if the CE sign was put into product in a false or fraudulent manner.

Business obstacles passing transit between Serbia

In addition to the sign of confirmation, Trade and Industry Minister Vesel Krasniqi has demanded that official Belgrade not prevent Kosovo businesses and products that cross the Transit through Serbia's territory.

The “is setting up barriers to goods that have the destination of Kosovo, passing the transit between Serbia, opening them up and forcing them to hide the inscription Republic of Kosovo and to write down Kosovo and Metohija as they have (Serbia)”, says Minister Krasniqi.

One of the companies facing this problem is the meat industry “Calabria” from Gjilan. The owner of this company, Xhelal Selimi, shows that Serbia does not recognise the phytosanitary certificate issued by the Republic of Kosovo.

“I try to use Serbia's territory to export goods to Croatia, but we are not successful. This is the main problem”, Selimi tells Radio Free Europe.

The phytosanitary certificate is a document that confirms the delivery health situation issued by the phytosanitary service for goods health from the country of origin.

Zeka: Let the barriers be used before they are approached.

Even Arrian Zeka, chief executive officer at the American Economic Ode in Pristina, said business complaints about these problems are evident. Mostly, he says, problems have to do with Serbia's non-recognition of documentation issued by the authorities of the Republic of Kosovo.

Zeka shows that CEFTA also envisions provisions to address barriers to free trade between signatory countries of this agreement.

“We as the American Ode have always been a follower of the use of these options that are presented in the agreement -- that is, the use of CEFTA institutional mechanisms -- to address these obstacles, before going to extreme measures”, Zeka said.

Despite the problems, during this year, the value of goods Serbia has exported to Kosovo is around 107m euros, while the amount of Kosovo products that have emerged on Serbia's market is 19m euros, says Adriatic Stavileci, spokesperson in Kosovo Customs.

Krasniqi: Remove Name U n Kosovo

Otherwise, Kosovo in this mechanism continues to be represented as UNMIK and not as the Republic of Kosovo. For this, the minister, Vesel Krasniqi, indicates he has asked CEFTA leader to remove this appointment.

“Because U n NMIC [Universal Mission of the United Nations to Kosovo] no longer has, and we are represented by officials and as Government Minister of the Republic of Kosovo”, he said.

In this mechanism, the Republic of Kosovo was joined in 2007. Because in that period Kosovo was not eligible for status, the agreement was signed by then chief UNMIK, Joachim Ruecker.

In this mechanism, besides Kosovo, other CEFTA member states are: Albania, Northern Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Moldova.

The Kosovo government, led by former Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, in November 2018 had imposed a 100 per cent customs tax on all products originating from Serbia and Bosnia to Herzegovina.

The past government, led by former Prime Minister Albin Kurti, has replaced the tax with the measure of reciprocity in April this year. But once Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti took office, he removed the reciprocity measure.