Kosovo's application for EU membership to remain pending

During the Belgian presidency, no movement has taken place to review Kosovo's EU membership application, which was made in December 2022, at the end of the then Czech presidency.

Kosovo, currently, is the only European country that has applied for EU membership, but does not have candidate status for membership. It remains the only of ten states involved in the EU enlargement process without formal candidate status. The expectations that Kosovo's application for membership is taken into account have not been realised.

The Swedish presidency of the EU in the first half of 2023 has failed to do so. After that, Spain has had the presidency as a country that does not recognise Kosovo's independence and has not wanted to have work with Kosovo's European integration file. After Spain, neither Belgium has taken any steps in this regard. The most frequent reasons that have been cited by the countries that had the presidency, for failing to examine Kosovo's application, have been linked to “the lack of consensus of member states”.

According to the EU procedures for the enlargement process, the EU Council should consider the application of a country for EU membership and give the European Commission mandate to analyse whether that country meets the conditions for candidate status. After the Commission compiles the thought and gives the recommendation, member states make the status-giving decision unanimously.

Thus, at great speed, the candidate country's status has been acquired by Ukraine and Moldova, which have also started EU membership negotiations last month. The candidate country's status also has Georgia and all Western Balkan countries -- Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Northern Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina -- except Kosovo. Formally, candidate status also has Turkey.

Since Kosovo has applied for EU membership, diplomats of member states say they will make efforts to reach consensus on the Council, as five of the member states -- Greece, Slovakia, Romania, Spain and Cyprus -- do not recognise Kosovo as a state. But some member states have suggested it would be good, at least, the Council gave the European Commission mandate to analyse how much Kosovo meets the conditions for candidate status.

The European Commission has expressed readiness to carry out its part of the job if such a mandate is received by the Council. But there was no movement on the part of the Council.

This, in addition to non-recognition by the five member states, has been reasoned with expectations of what would happen to the dialogue process for normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

“Progress in dialogue is a condition for both Kosovo and Serbia for progress on their path towards EU integration. There has recently been no progress in this dialogue, and this has influenced that among member states, there is no enthusiasm to advance the road towards either the EU of Kosovo or Serbia”, a European diplomat told Radio Free Europe. According to him, if there were progress in the dialogue, member states would more easily be convinced of the decision about Kosovo.

After taking over the EU presidency on Hungary's part, it has been warned that this country will take priority even in the enlargement process with Western Balkan countries. Hungary has also placed this in the document citing its leadership priorities with the EU. Budapest has aspirations to advance the negotiation process with those candidate countries that will be ready.

Diplomats from Hungary are quoted as saying they are aiming to close several chapters of membership negotiations with Montenegro, as well as opening several chapters with Serbia, with Albania and with northern Macedonia. They have also cited the possibility of advancing Bosnia and Herzegovina. But diplomats have noted that Hungary at meetings has not mentioned any possible action about Kosovo.

European diplomats underline that Hungary's government has close reports with Serbia, and this has contributed to its bringing it around Kosovo into the EU and some other international organisations, not to be as friendly as it used to be. However, Hungary has continued its contacts with Kosovo. Asked about expectations by the Hungarian EU presidency, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has said last week in Brussels that “Hungary has recognised Kosovo and should be given the opportunity to look at the presidency's first months of operation for”.

Hungary, on the other hand, has voiced expectations that during its chairmanship with the EU, the first payments to the countries of the Western Balkan region be made from the 6 billion-euro package of the European plan for economic growth and reforms in the region. Tools from this package for Kosovo and Serbia are conditional, as well, with their constructive commitment to the process of normalising relations.

Hungary plans to host a joint EU summit with leaders of Western Balkan countries during its chairmanship with the EU.

Although Hungary has the closest reports with Serbia among the countries of the region, diplomats in Brussels do not expect to have problems in reports with other countries, as the role of the leading EU country is to be a neutral leader of the European Union Council and to ignore its national priorities during the six-month period. /rel/