Kosovo has informed the EU about its intention to apply for EU membership, the Council of the EU said on December 7, write intellinews.com
At the meeting in Brussels, the members of the Stabilisation and Association Council (SA Council) reviewed Kosovo’s progress on its European path following the publication of the European Commission’s 2021 report on Kosovo. The parties welcomed Kosovo’s renewed commitment to its European path.
The meeting was chaired by Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti. The EU delegation was led by High Representative Josep Borrell and included Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi.
The parties discussed recent developments relating to the fulfilment of the political criteria, as well as the state of play concerning the economic criteria, financial cooperation and implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the Council of the EU said in the statement.
The SA Council members agreed on the need for Kosovo to continue with reforms and required increased focus by all political actors, strengthening of the administrative capacities and an effective coordination structure within the Kosovan institutions.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but it is still not recognised by Belgrade as a separate state. Five EU members also do not recognise Kosovo. This effectively stymies its progress towards EU accession until a resolution is reached with Serbia, which is already in the midst of accession negotiations.
