EU: The draft European statute for the Association is not a "non-paper", but a document

"In the conclusions of December 2023, the European Council welcomed the readiness of Serbia and Kosovo to accept the draft statute that has been proposed to the parties by the EU facilitator. This represents formal acceptance of the document by all 27 member countries. To call the European draft statute simply as a 'non-paper' represents disregard for the call from the Council of the European Union to act on its basis without new delays towards its establishment", said the EU spokesperson, Peter Stano

The declarations in Kosovo that the draft statute of the Association of municipalities with a Serbian majority is only a "non-paper", the spokesperson of the European Union, Peter Stano, has described as a disregard for the invitation of the Council of the European Union that based on this proposal " European" to walk towards the establishment of the Association. 

He said that Kosovo's obligation is formal, it was accepted in dialogue with the agreements of 2013 and 2023, it was ratified by the Assembly of Kosovo with a two-thirds majority and the proposal was accepted "in principle" by the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia. 

In the answers sent to the journalists, Stano said that it is regrettable why, after a year since it was accepted in principle, there has been no movement towards the establishment of the Association.    

"Even after 11 years, Kosovo still has not taken the necessary steps towards its establishment and therefore is not fulfilling its clear obligations, according to international law, which was repeated in the agreements of 2015 and 2023. According to the relevant agreements of the years 2013 and 2015 from the dialogue the statute for the establishment of the Association should be drafted and discussed in the dialogue. Any proposal must be discussed with Serbia and the EU facilitator and must be in accordance with the agreements of 2013 and 2015. This also means that the Government of Kosovo cannot draft the statute outside the dialogue process," he said. spokesman Stano.

"The Government of Kosovo cannot give up the responsibilities of the dialogue or delegate them to municipalities with a Serbian majority in Kosovo".

He further explained how, according to him, Kosovo and Serbia have accepted "in principle" what is now called the "European proposal".

"In October 2023, in an effort to advance the normalization process, the EU with support from member countries and partners such as the USA, formally presented a European draft statute for the establishment of the Association. The European draft statute is based on models and good practices as well as on the legal framework of Kosovo. The draft statute was personally presented to Prime Minister Kurti by the EU facilitator together with the national security advisers of France, Germany and Italy, as well as the American special representative. In the high-level meeting in support of the dialogue in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Chancellor Olaf Scholz, both sides accepted the European draft statute in principle", said Stano.  

According to the EU spokesperson, this proposal has already been transformed into a "document" that has the formal support of all 27 EU member states.

"In the conclusions of December 2023, the European Council welcomed the readiness of Serbia and Kosovo to accept the draft statute that has been proposed to the parties by the EU facilitator. This represents formal acceptance of the document by all 27 member countries. To call the European draft statute simply as a 'non-paper' represents disregard of the call from the Council of the European Union to act on its basis without new delays towards its establishment. We regret that after a year, since the parties accepted the document in principle, no progress has been achieved in establishing the association in accordance with the European draft statute. In accordance with the official rededication to dialogue and full implementation", said Stano. 

Days ago, the Government said that the document proposed by the EU is "Non-paper", while Prime Minister Kurti stated that the initiative for the promotion of the Association should come from the municipalities.