Next week report on measures against Kosovo expected to be submitted

This report should be handed over to member states, which later consider whether the conditions for abolishing measures that the European Union imposed last year have been met.

It still remains unclear whether Borrell will recommend lifting the measures.

As “reports RTK” with diplomatic resources, everything will depend on the terminology as well as the approach the chief of European diplomacy will use in the report.

If it refers only to requirements that the EU had introduced to Pristina authorities in June last year and which have to do with the steps towards de escalation related to the election process in the four northern municipalities, then these sources consider the recommendation for the removal of measures is possible.

However, recent actions related to police operations in Serbia's financial institutions in the north are expected to be cited in the report. EU spokesman Peter Stano confirmed this earlier. But everything will depend on what context these operations will be mentioned.

Handing over the report, even with clear recommendation, does not mean the immediate removal of the measures. This report will only serve member states to turn this issue into an agenda and in the next period, begin to question the possibility of lifting measures.

Borrell's report had been requested by ambassadors of EU member states in the first debate where the removal of the measures -- a few days after elections in the north -- were held on 21 April. At the time, most member states spoke out in favour of lifting the measures, and the only uncertainty was related to whether the measures should be completely or gradually removed.

The European Commission (KE) had imposed punitive measures on Kosovo a year ago, due to the escalation of the security situation in the mainly Serb-inhabited north.

The measures set by the EU included the provisional suspension of working groups for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Kosovo's failure to attend high-level meetings and the suspension of bilateral visits. Kosovo's funding programming, which was also designed to be submitted through the Western Balkans and the 2024 IPA investment Framework, has also been suspended. (Before-member institutions).

Following punitive measures, Kosovo has remained outside the grants the EU approved in July last year, worth 2.1 billion euros.

On December 15th 2022, Kosovo applied for EU membership. Kosovo is the only country in the Western Balkans that does not have candidate status for membership in the bloc.