Proposals to Make Kosovo Membership Conditioned on Establishment of Association

All amendments to the Serbian delegation have been overturned on the Council of Europe's Political and Democracy Affairs Committee today, as well as the amendments of Italian MPs.

The two rejected amendments relate to conditioning Kosovo's membership in the KiE with Association.

In contrast, the practice is that if the amendments are refused by large in this committee, then they are not discussed at the session, but they can be questioned at the Parliamentary Assembly session if ten MPs request it.

The Serbian delegation to the KiE has submitted 10 amendments to the text of the recommendation for Kosovo's accession to this international organisation.

One of the amendments submitted by the Serbian delegation called for delaying the decision on Pristina's application for membership, until the UN Security Council “defines or approves Kosovo and Metohija”.

Serbia has also demanded that the proposed text be changed so that the establishment of the Serb majority municipalities' Association will be a prerequisite for continuing the process of reviewing Kosovo's application for membership, rather than a “post-membership”, reportedly the recommendation.

In the amendment proposed by Italian deputies and a Hungarian, the Assembly is proposed to consider the establishment of association should be taken into account as issues in the upcoming review of the Committee of Ministers for Kosovo's application.

However, even this administration has been opposed by the KiE Committee.

Discussion about Kosovo's request to be admitted to the Council of Europe in the KE Parliamentary Assembly Zilnum will begin around 16:30.