Following the parliamentary elections in Kosovo on 11 June, MEPs urged the political factions in Kosovo, on Wednesday 14 June, to form a government swiftly in order to continue on the path to Kosovo's EU accession.
In the report by Ulrike Lunacek (Greens/EFA, Austria) on the 2016 report on Kosovo, which was adopted with 474 votes in favour, 134 against and 64 abstentions, MEPs express concern at the persistent extreme polarisation of the political landscape in Kosovo and they call on the Kosovar parties to show responsibility and to commit to and creating the conditions appropriate for a constructive dialogue that is focused on solutions and results to calm the tension and enable a viable compromise in order to facilitate the country's progress on its European path.
In the report, MEPs say that the European integration process requires a strategic long-term vision and lasting commitment to the adoption and implementation of necessary reforms. MEPs call for the implementation of Kosovo's national strategy on applying the stabilisation and association agreement – an agreement they hail as the first contractual relationship between the EU and Kosovo, and as an essential step in pursuing Kosovo's integration process with the EU. Kosovo's political parties should commit to ratifying an agreement on delimiting the borders with Montenegro, and to continuing to improve the results obtained on sentences for high-level corruption and organised crime, so as to pave the way for a visa-waiver regime for Kosovar citizens when they travel.
Hailing the progress on implementing the agreements between Serbia and Kosovo after months of stagnation, the European Parliament calls on both parties to commit more and to show lasting political resolve on the normalisation of their relations. It also calls on them to refrain from any act likely to endanger the progress made thus far. MEPs say that the recognition of Kosovo would be beneficial to the normalisation of relations between Pristina and Belgrade, and that it would give more credibility to the EU in its own external policy. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)