Strasbourg, 07/09/2006 (Agence Europe) - Is the European Union ready to take on the many tasks awaiting it in Kosovo? That was the question the Greens/EFA, PES and EPP-Ed groups asked the Council at the plenary session of the European Parliament on 6 September. During the debate, most MEPs stressed how important it was to settle in 2006 the issue of the future status of Kosovo, currently under negotiation under the auspices of the UN. Just as Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn had been, they were also insistent that the future EU mission to Kosovo be clearly distinguishable on the ground from the UN force, UNIAMK, and that it should be given the means and the necessary strength of numbers to carry out its tasks. Putting the future status of the province into practice, justice and security, the coordination of international community actions, respect for human rights and minorities, putting in place a civil administration, socio-economic development are among the tasks awaiting the future EU mission to Kosovo, when it takes over from the UN mission. But “are we ready to take on all of these tasks?” asked Dutch Green MEP Joost Lagendijk, one of the drafters of the question, who visited Kosovo in June. “I am afraid that we will not be fully prepared for such a mission,” said German Christian Democrat MEP Doris Pack, co-drafter of the question. This was a concern shared by British Liberal Baroness Sarah Ludford, who was a member of the Parliamentary delegation which visited Kosovo in June.
Commissioner Olli Rehn said that the European Union would have a major role to play in Kosovo and “do much more than the UNIAMK”. It was also important, he said, to allow the future government of Kosovo to play a full part in the process of stabilising the province. This process would have a price for which the necessary funding had to be made available, he warned, criticising the lack of personnel and financial means because of cuts within the budgetary framework 2007-2013. This criticism was picked up by several MEPs. “The 2007 budget will not allow us to help Kosovo,” said Hungarian MEP Istvan Szent-Ivany, speaking for the ALDE group. “A lot of work” would still have to be done before the EU was ready to carry out its mission, said German MEP Gisela Kallenbach, speaking on behalf of the Greens.
The future EU mission would effectively be a large-scale one, and, before the end of the month, the Council working group, which is preparing the mission, would submit its report, replied Finnish external trade minister Paula Lehtomäki on behalf of the Presidency. She also defended herself against the criticism of the Commissioner and MEPs: “We have tried to find a solution for everyone” during budget negotiations, she said, giving assurances that “the situation is not as black or as catastrophic as it is being painted here” and acknowledging “there must not be cuts in personnel especially for this region”.