The European Council recalled the European Union's contribution to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 on Kosovo. The European Union has made a substantial political commitment, particularly in support of UNMIK activities, and has taken on major responsibilities for the reconstruction and economic development of Kosovo. The Thessaloniki Declaration of June 2003 confirmed that the future of the Western Balkans, including Kosovo, was in the European Union.
The European Council considered that the situation in Kosovo was entering a critical phase, with the United Nations preparing for a comprehensive review of the implementation of standards, which could lead to the opening of negotiations on the future status of Kosovo.
On standards, the European Council welcomed the United Nations Secretary-General's recent report on the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), and welcomed the appointment of Ambassador Kai Eide as Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, charged with carrying out a comprehensive review of the situation in Kosovo this summer.
The European Council stressed that the outcome of this comprehensive review was not a foregone conclusion: the implementation of standards, particularly those which have been identified as a priority, and the decentralisation process are of particular importance. The European Council therefore recommended all those responsible for implementing standards, particularly the Provisional Institutions of Self-Government (PISG) in Kosovo, to redouble their efforts to achieve concrete results urgently, particularly as regards the return of refugees and displaced persons and the protection of all the communities in Kosovo. It called on all political leaders, in Pristina as in Belgrade, not to obstruct this process.
The European Council recalled that the opening of the procedure to determine the future status of Kosovo in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244 would depend on the positive outcome of the comprehensive review. It noted that compliance with standards was a fundamental and continuing obligation which was an integral part of that process. Rapprochement with the EU will also depend on such compliance and on the full implementation of standards; the EU will therefore continue to follow this process closely.
The European Council formally asks the parties to show goodwill, so as to achieve a mutually acceptable solution. It indicated the importance which it attached to constructive and sustained dialogue being established at all levels between Belgrade and Pristina, and between the different communities in Kosovo. It asked the authorities in Belgrade actively to encourage the Serbs of Kosovo to take their place in Kosovar institutions, to exercise their democratic rights there.
On the status of Kosovo, the European Council reaffirmed that any solution must be fully compatible with European values and norms, comply with international legal instruments and obligations and the United Nations Charter, and contribute to realising the European prospects of Kosovo and the region. At the same time, any agreement on status must ensure that Kosovo does not return to the pre-March 1999 situation.
The European Council declared that the determination of the future status of Kosovo must be based on multi-ethnicity, and on full respect for human rights, including the right for all refugees and displaced persons to return home safely. The status must offer effective constitutional guarantees to ensure that minorities are protected, including mechanisms to ensure their participation in central government and in the new local administrative structures to be put in place. It should also include specific safeguards to protect the cultural heritage and religious sites and to promote effective mechanisms to combat organised crime, corruption and terrorism.
The European Council also declared that the determination of the status of Kosovo must reinforce the security and stability of the region. Thus any solution which was unilateral or resulted from the use of force, as well as any changes to the current territory of Kosovo, would be unacceptable. Thus there will be no partition of Kosovo, nor any union of Kosovo with another country or with part of another country following the resolution of the status of Kosovo. The territorial integrity of neighbouring countries must be fully respected. Likewise, the status must guarantee that Kosovo can continue to develop in a way which is both economically and politically sustainable, and not constitute a military or security threat to its neighbours.
The European Council stressed that Kosovo will, in the medium term, continue to need a civilian and military international presence to ensure security and in particular protection for minorities, to help with the continuing implementation of standards and to exercise appropriate supervision of compliance with the provisions contained in the status agreement. In this respect, the European Council stressed the EU's willingness to play a full part, in close cooperation with the relevant partners and international organisations.
The European Council stressed that the European Union would continue to contribute to the international community's efforts in Kosovo. It is determined to reinforce its actions further, particularly in the consolidation of the rule of law and a viable economic environment, in keeping with its special responsibility for the future of the region, particularly by actively pursuing the Thessaloniki agenda, and to be fully involved in the definition of the status of Kosovo, which must enable Belgrade and Pristina to make progress towards Euro-Atlantic integration.