Over 300 amendments to European Parliament's Kosovo report

A total of 305 amendments have been submitted by European Parliament MPs in the draft annual Kosovo report, which has compiled rapporteurs from the Greens' ranks, Violet von Cremon.

For these amendments and for text as a whole, it will be voted April 26th at the parliamentary Commission's foreign affairs meeting, while in May, the report must go for approval at the European Parliament's plenary session.

A large number of amendments are expected to be rejected or withdrawn because they deal with the visa liberalisation process for Kosovo. This process has already been completed in the European Parliament, with the adoption of the final decision and the signing of the legal act, which was made 19 April between the European Parliament and the EU Council.

However, there are also amendments from MPs of the extreme right, who demand visa liberalisation, but also the EU enlargement process will not occur, because, according to them, pose risks to the EU.

For example, in the paragraph where it says that the EU's “enlargement has proved to be the best means for expanding peace in Europe”, German deputy from the ranks of Germany's right-wing Alternative party, Bernhard Zimniok, has proposed that enlargement “proved to be one of the most destabilising policies in the last 30 years”.

Members of the far right-wing from France, Jean-Lin Lacapell and Thierry Mariani, have proposed that in the text of the Kosovo report, Kosovo has given the largest number of jihadists in Syria and Iraq from Europe, compared to the number of residents”.

Even in the past, MPs from these currents have attempted to present Kosovo as a country from which Europe's security comes, but such efforts have not found support from the majority in the European Parliament.

The largest number of amendments requires that the enlargement process be accelerated and that the EU move towards Kosovo's involvement in the process as well.

Most of the proposed amendments require that Kosovo's application for membership in the European Union be welcomed and member states adopt the decision in terms of granting candidate status.

Even in previous years, there are a large number of amendments submitted by MPs coming from countries who have not recognised Kosovo's independence, especially Spain, through which it requires that all parts of the text be removed which Kosovo is referred to as a sovereign and independent state.

In previous efforts, such demands have been rejected because in the European Parliament, decisions are made by majority of votes, and there is a great majority supporting Kosovo's sovereignty.

Moreover, this time again, five EU nations that have not recognised Kosovo -- Spain, Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus -- are expected to be invited to do so.

The text of the report's draft, presented by rapporteur von Cromon, contains general points similar to reports from past years, but takes into account developments that have already occurred.

In the text, the European Parliament welcomes Kosovo's “application for EU membership, reflecting its citizens' pro-European orientation and clear geopolitical definition”.

There, the long-awaited agreement on visa liberalisation for Kosovo citizens” is welcomed and repeats, as well as past years, the call for recognition of Kosovo's independence by all European Union member states.

As for the situation in Kosovo, the text says the country has had a period of political stability after the 2021 elections, and an invitation is extended to Kosovo authorities to take more action to face challenges on European roads.

Here again, the “dynamic process of integration will depend on rule of law, fundamental rights and normalisation of reports with Serbia”.

The European Parliament welcomes Kosovo's adoption with EU positions in foreign and security policy, especially the severe condemnation of Russia's aggression against Ukraine and the implementation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

European Parliament backs Kosovo's application for membership Council of Europe and the country's plan to engage in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme.

The commitment to fighting corruption and organised crime is welcomed in this text, but concern is expressed about the state of the judiciary in Kosovo, which, according to the text, “continues to be inefficient and sensitive to unnecessary political intervention”.

The regret is expressed for “the negative impact the atmosphere has had on political polarisation on the work of the Parliament” and is invited opposition deputies to end the practice of abstention.

As for freedom of expression in Kosovo, the text welcomes the fact that the country “has a living pluralistic media environment”, but expresses concern for campaigns of attacks on investigative journalists. In particular, it expresses concern about the lack of freedom of expression in northern Kosovo ʹ the Serb-run majority area and strongly condemns attacks on journalists there.

The text also calls for a genuine commitment to the Government of Kosovo and representatives of Kosovo Serbs for dialogue, which would strengthen mutual confidence.

As for dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia on normalising relations, developing with EU relief in Brussels, the call is repeated for the two states to engage in the spirit of compromise, to reach a comprehensive, legally binding agreement on normalisation of relations based on mutual recognition, in accordance with international law”.

Also called for implementation of all agreements reached so far in the dialogue, including the one for the establishment of the Association of Major Serb municipalities in Kosovo.