EU Special Representative Pieter Feith made the following remarks at a hearing of the Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) of the European Parliament today:
“I will speak about the progress made in Kosovo during the last months, but also the problems we have encountered along the way. Indeed, Kosovo faces many challenges in the coming months and I will try to EU assess these here today. Especially, I will focus on the role of the presences in Kosovo including reflections on my own efforts to coordinate and promote the objectives of the EU. In the execution of my mandate as EUSR I take particular care to reflect the position of each Member State with regard to Kosovo.
 “Mr Chairman, Our attention often tends to be drawn to current affairs; therefore, I would like to begin by portraying the general developments in Kosovo as I see them. And if we look back to when I was first appointed as EUSR in February 2008 and make a comparison with Kosovo today, it is clear that Kosovo has made sound improvement in many areas and that—despite the evolving global financial crisis—the situation is characterized by continuing efforts by the authorities to improve the economic and social conditions of the citizens.
“In recent months, Kosovo has made a number of noteworthy achievements; the Constitutional Court has now been established and inaugurated; Kosovo has been invited to become a member of the International Monetary Fund and of the World Bank; and the authorities have moved forward with steps towards attaining European standards of governance and at the same time providing the Serb community with wide-ranging autonomy rights and opportunities to integrate in a multi-ethnic society.
“To complete this picture, Kosovo and the everyday life of its people — with a few exceptions — have remained unmarred by interethnic tensions and violence. On 11 of June of this year it was decided by the North Atlantic Council (NAC) that the KFOR mission should begin reducing its presence in Kosovo. I am convinced that this reflects the international community’s assessment that the security environment in Kosovo and in the region is gradually reaching higher levels of stability. Indeed, there are visible examples of this trend, and let me mention a few: in Pristina, hearing the Serbian language being spoken on the streets is now an everyday occurrence; in the municipality of Kamenica, a market has spontaneously appeared where Serbs and Albanians sell local produce next to each other; and, finally, a group of politicians and media representatives of the Serbian and Albanian communities in Mitrovica have formed a forum to prepare for hosting a “Divided Cities” Conference next year. None of this means that reconciliation is around the corner, or that the process can be achieved without continuous and dedicated assistance from the outside. Differences between and within the communities remain, but those differences are increasingly mitigated by democratic processes and institutions.
“As Kosovo continues to pursue its reform agenda encompassing almost every part of its political and administrative functions, there are still a number of important challenges that must be addressed in order to make real progress towards European standards of parliamentary democracy, multi-ethnic institutions and good governance. Kosovo has now established the key institutions with responsibility to protect the rights of the people of Kosovo, including the aforementioned Constitutional Court, the Office of the Ombudsman and the Kosovo Judicial Council to mention just a few. However, these bodies have yet to assert themselves and carry out their tasks in accordance with the legal framework of Kosovo. The authorities’ continued efforts in this field would be to the benefit of the people of Kosovo, especially, for the much needed improvements with regard to the protection of the rights of everybody including women and children.
“Mr. Chairman, as I indicated to you in February, I intend to encourage renewed efforts to strengthen the role of the Assembly of Kosovo, more broadly, to further improve the quality of democracy in Kosovo. The Assembly has remained engaged in the reforms and institution building currently ongoing in Kosovo, however, it has yet to fully attain the role of Kosovo’s primary political body. The assembly must advance its involvement in decision making as well as improve its oversight of the Government thereby providing transparency and accountability. I would invite this distinguished committee to lend support to this process. The goal of full inclusion of the minority communities in the political life will still require substantial outreach and dedicated work by the Kosovo authorities - in partnership with the international society and, of course, the civil society in Kosovo, which will be an indispensable partner for achieving broader political inclusiveness.
“Mr. Chairman In February I mentioned that stability is a strategic objective to pursue in partnership with the Kosovo authorities. Though not always in perfect harmony, this partnership has developed into solid cooperation, in which the Kosovo authorities have invested much commitment. Provided that the democratic institutions can continue to provide political stability and mechanisms for managing and resolving differences in Kosovo, I believe that the risk of tensions will continue to decline further. However, I must say that I remain preoccupied with the deep polarization among political leaders in Kosovo as well as the receptiveness among the public to statements critical of the international presences in Kosovo, including those of the EU. That this easily leads to vandalism and violence in a charged and volatile atmosphere, we saw the other day.
“That being said, Mr Chairman the European Union remains a major partner for the people of Kosovo. With the declaration of full operational capability of the EULEX mission on 6 April, the importance of the EU role in Kosovo has further increased. The EULEX Mission is now mentoring, monitoring and advising the Kosovo Police in all areas of Kosovo’s rule of law; the progress made so far is satisfactory but Kosovo still has a long way to go and the authorities need to ensure that EULEX can continue its mission under the best possible circumstances. Efforts to curb organized crime and corruption remain a particular challenge for the Kosovo authorities; again, this will require the full support of Kosovo’s political leaders as well as, of course, the continued focus of the EU member states. Organized crime does not stop at borders or boundaries; real progress in the fight against organized crime will need to be taken forward on the basis of a broader regional approach.
“The challenges facing EULEX in the area of rule of law are particularly complex in the Serb-majority areas north of the river Ibar. EULEX has taken important strides, including the establishment of customs activity at gates 1 and 31 in the North. This will begin to bear fruit, and will further increase as the presence will be enhanced during the coming weeks. Still, serious efforts will be needed to address the challenges faced in the North and ensure the proper implementation of the rule of law. As EULEX continues to enhance its activities in the North, I strongly believe that a more visible and more comprehensive EU presence there is needed to help steer the political process in support of EULEX .
“Kosovo is currently preparing for the first elections to be held following its unilateral Declaration of Independence on 17 February 2008. On 16 June, Kosovo’s President, Fatmir Sejdiu, announced that local elections for Mayors and Municipal Assemblies would be held on 15 November 2009. He requested the Central Election Commission of Kosovo - the CEC - to undertake all necessary preparations to conduct municipal elections throughout Kosovo. Since the local capacities of the CEC are still weak, technical support from international actors will be important in ensuring that the necessary preparations are made. The OSCE Mission in Kosovo will support and train the CEC in its preparations for the 2009 elections, while USAID has stepped in on additional activities.
“The Central Electoral Commission has requested a number of European and regional organizations to monitor the forthcoming elections. I very much hope that will take place because a democratic, transparent and fair election process is of key importance when it comes to ensuring Kosovo’s development as a modern, democratic and multi-ethnic society. Municipal elections are important for local representation and provision of services to all communities in Kosovo. Status-related considerations should not stand in the way of citizens’ rights to participate in democratic processes and to be properly represented at the municipal level.
“The 2009 Elections are being organized at a time when important local government reforms are ongoing. These reforms aim at the inclusion and participation of all communities in the institutions of Kosovo, thereby securing a secure and sustainable living for them. The establishment of five new Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo and the extension of a sixth has continued at a rapid pace over the past period. This will provide them with extensive self-governing rights and encourage active Kosovo Serb participation in the municipal administration.
“The process of establishing these new Kosovo Serb-majority municipalities is part of a broader process of decentralization in Kosovo. But of course, in its core it is a key effort of the Kosovo authorities to reach out to the Kosovo-Serb community. From my perspective, its success is of key importance for a sustainable, multiethnic Kosovo; decentralized governance also brings Kosovo closer towards integration and reconciliation with the minority communities. A broader representation of Kosovo Serbs at the municipal level would allow the second largest community living in Kosovo to have more responsibility for the management of its own affairs. This would include issues which are key for the daily lives of people, like health and education as well as the protection of the religious and cultural heritage of the Serb Orthodox Church. As an EUSR, I have therefore welcomed and supported this process.
“In close consultation with the international community, the Kosovo authorities are currently assessing how many of these new municipalities are already in a position to take part in the November elections. Obviously, Kosovo voter-turnout in these elections is a key issue. Therefore, I strongly hope that the Government of Serbia will encourage the Kosovo Serbs to take advantage of this opportunity.
“Mr. Chairman, The challenges facing the people of Kosovo can not be met without progress towards broader regional cooperation. Economic cooperation and trade; respect for human rights including those of the Roma community; and progress towards Kosovo’s European perspective will all require continued and improving cooperation in the wider region, supported by the international community. In the field of Rule of Law, this will mean that progress must be made in cooperating with Serbia in the areas of police, and customs, as highlighted by the European Commission’s requirements for the visa liberalization process.
“Kosovo has made real progress in establishing democratic institutions and mechanisms and in improving the lives of its citizens. It has begun the journey towards consolidating those achievements through local government reform, infrastructure projects and improvements in economic governance. It has welcomed and started to build a real partnership with the European Rule of Law Mission. These achievements will face their first electoral test in November of this year. This will also mark an opportunity for enhanced self-government offered to the Kosovo Serb community – an opportunity I hope they will seize. Challenges remain, as I have indicated today. Kosovo still has a long journey ahead of it before its European perspective can be realized. It will still need strong support from the European Union in the years to come. But on the basis of this support and a strong partnership between the EU and Kosovo, the people of Kosovo can feel confident that they have indeed begun that journey.”
(end)
Notes
• Committees of the European Parliament are responsible for preparing Parliament’s plenary session work. Their task is to draw up reports on legislative proposals that have been referred to Parliament or on which Parliament has been consulted and on own-initiative reports.
• Parliament has set up 20 standing committees to prepare work for plenary sittings. They are divided into sectors, for example foreign affairs, development, international trade, budgets, etc. and each has powers appropriate to its area of expertise. They consider and propose amendments to the proposals for Community directives and regulations drawn up by the Commission, which are also referred to the Council of the European Union. They also deliver opinions for other committees.
• Each committee elects a chairman and four vice-chairmen for a period of two and a half years. Each committee has its own secretariat.Committees meet in public, once or twice a month, generally during the weeks that follow plenary sittings in Strasbourg.
• The AFET Committee covers:
1. the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the European security and defence policy (ESDP). In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on security and defence;
2. relations with other EU institutions and bodies, the UNO and other international organisations and interparliamentary assemblies for matters falling under its responsibility;
3. the strengthening of political relations with third countries, particularly thosein the immediate vicinity of the Union, by means of major cooperation and assistance programmes or international agreements such as association and partnership agreements;
4. the opening, monitoring and concluding of negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union;
5. issues concerning human rights, the protection of minorities and the promotion of democratic values in third countries. In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on human rights. Without prejudice to the relevant rules, members from other committees and bodies with responsibilities in this field shall be invited to attend the meetings of the subcommittee.
The committee coordinates the work of joint parliamentary committees and parliamentary cooperation committees as well as that of the interparliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations and election observation missions falling within its remit.
|
Share Link: 
