The representatives of Kosovo and Serbia reached agreement on Wednesday 14 September on the remaining areas of difference of the EU-facilitated agreement on freedom of movement reached in 2011(see EUROPE 10411), the European External Action Service (EEAS) announced the same day.
This technical agreement means so called “proba” vehicle number plates will no longer be required for travelling from one side to the other, both parties having agreed to cover relevant parts of the respective licence plates with stickers. Licence plates used by residents in Kosovo will not be affected by this sticker regime, the EEAS says in its press release.
The two parties also agreed that the registration of all vehicles with licence plates issued by Kosovo authorities would commence on 15 January 2017 and would last for 12 months. At the end of that period the issue will be reviewed within the EU-facilitated Dialogue. Kosovo will extend the validity of KS licence plates for 5 years at the end of which the issue will be reviewed within the Dialogue. An information campaign, the content and arrangements of which will be discussed in the next few weeks, will be carried out by Serbia, Kosovo and the EU to explain to residents affected by the agreement how to go about registering vehicles, the EEAS adds.
Welcoming the agreement, the EU urges both sides to make progress on all other outstanding implementation work, in particular on the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities and on energy and telecommunications. On telecoms, “extensive discussions took place and progress has been made on key elements for implementation” of the agreement, the EEAS notes, adding that both sides have agreed to continue the negotiations on 26 September in Brussels under EU facilitation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)