European Parliament resolution of 18 April 2013 on the European integration process of Kosovo (2012/2867(RSP))
Date: 2013-04-18
Institutions: Committee on Foreign Affairs, European Parliament
Subjects: EU police mission, Kosovo, pre-accession strategy, public safety, rule of law, territorial law








C_2016045EN.01007301.xml










5.2.2016   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 45/73





P7_TA(2013)0187
European integration process of Kosovo
European Parliament resolution of 18 April 2013 on the European integration process of Kosovo (2012/2867(RSP))
(2016/C 045/11)

The European Parliament,






—


having regard to the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report No 18/2012 on European Union Assistance to Kosovo related to the rule of law, published on 30 October 2012,










—


having regard to the Council decision of 22 October 2012 authorising the Commission to open negotiations on a framework agreement with Kosovo on participation in Union programmes,










—


having regard to the Commission communication of 10 October 2012 on a Feasibility Study for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo (COM(2012)0602),










—


having regard to the Commission communication of 10 October 2012 to the European Parliament and the Council on Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2012-2013 (COM(2012)0600),










—


having regard to the end of the mandate of the International Civilian Representative in September 2012 and the phasing-out of the International Civilian Office by the end of 2012,










—


having regard to the reports of the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the ongoing activities of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and developments related thereto, the latest one of 8 November 2012 covering the period from 16 July to 15 October 2012,










—


having regard to the ratification on 7 September 2012 by the Kosovo Assembly of the agreement with the EU on the extension of the mandate of EULEX until June 2014,










—


having regard to Council Joint Action 2008/124/CFSP of 4 February 2008 on the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX Kosovo, as amended by Council Joint Action 2009/445/CFSP of 9 June 2009, by Council Decision 2010/322/CFSP of 8 June 2010 and by Council Decision 2012/291/CFSP of 5 June 2012,










—


having regard to the conclusions of the General Affairs Council meetings of 7 December 2009, 14 December 2010 and 5 December 2011, which stress and reaffirm, respectively, that Kosovo, without prejudice to Member States’ position on its status, should also benefit from the prospect of eventual visa liberalisation once all conditions are met, and welcoming the launch of a visa dialogue in January 2012 and the presentation of the visa liberalisation roadmap in June 2012,










—


having regard to the Structured Dialogue on the Rule of Law launched on 30 May 2012,










—


having regard to the National Council for European Integration, attached to the President’s office and serving as the high-level coordinating body responsible for building a consensus on the European agenda through an inclusive and cross-party approach, which was inaugurated in March 2012,










—


having regard to the Council conclusions of 28 February 2012 on Enlargement and the Stabilisation and Association Process,










—


having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1244(1999), to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of 22 July 2010 on the accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, and to the UN General Assembly resolution of 9 September 2010 (1), which acknowledged the content of the ICJ opinion and welcomed the EU’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina,










—


having regard to the October 2012 report of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo entitled ‘Fair Trial Rights in Election Related Cases’,










—


having regard to the joint statements of the EP-Kosovo interparliamentary meetings of 28—29 May 2008, 6—7 April 2009, 22—23 June 2010 and 20 May 2011,










—


having regard to its previous resolutions,










—


having regard to Rule 110(2) of its Rules of Procedure,










A.


whereas the end of supervised independence marks an important step for Kosovo and reinforces the Kosovo authorities’ responsibility to bring forward and implement reforms on the path to European integration;










B.


whereas 98 of the 193 member states of the United Nations, including 22 of the EU’s 27 Member States, recognise Kosovo’s independence;










C.


whereas all EU Member States support the European perspective of Kosovo, in line with EU commitments to the whole Western Balkans region and without prejudice to Member States’ position on the status of Kosovo;










D.


whereas the resumption of high-level Belgrade-Pristina dialogue is an important step towards the normalisation of relations between the two parties, provided that they engage effectively and constructively in result-oriented negotiations;










E.


whereas good neighbourly relations are essential for security and stability in the region;










F.


whereas there have been important developments in EU-Kosovo relations, including the publication of the Commission’s feasibility study and the launch of the visa dialogue and of the Structured Dialogue on the Rule of Law;










G.


whereas the European perspective of Kosovo is a powerful incentive for the implementation of the necessary reforms;










H.


whereas the persistent weakness of the rule of law is delaying the building of democracy and harming the economy, undermining long-term development;










I.


whereas one of the key priorities of the EULEX mission is the fight against corruption and organised crime and the investigation and prosecution of war crimes;












1.


Welcomes the outcome of the Commission’s feasibility study, which found that a stabilisation and association agreement can be concluded in a situation where Member States maintain different views on Kosovo’s status, provided that Kosovo fulfils a number of basic conditions; encourages Kosovo to invest more efforts in meeting the short-term priorities identified in that study;












2.


Stress that the signing of a stabilisation and association agreement is an important step towards Kosovo’s future integration into European structures and, ultimately, membership of the Union; is convinced that such an agreement will create new opportunities that will strengthen neighbourly cooperation and the regional integration of Kosovo;












3.


Encourages, nevertheless, the remaining five Member States to proceed with recognising Kosovo and invites them to do their utmost to facilitate economic, social and political relations between their citizens and those of Kosovo;












4.


Takes note of the end of supervised independence on 10 September 2012, following the judgment of 2 July 2012 by the International Steering Group that the Comprehensive Proposal for the Kosovo Status Settlement had been substantially implemented; welcomes the conclusion of the mandate of the International Civilian Representative and the work carried out by the EU Special Representative/Head of the EU Office so far;












5.


Welcomes the new high-level Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue initiated and facilitated by the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Catherine Ashton, as it has given new impetus to the dialogue between the two parties; calls for full implementation of all the agreements reached so far, particularly on integrated border management and the implementation of control points at the common border between the parties as determined in the agreement; welcomes the appointment of a liaison officer from Kosovo in Belgrade as an important step in this direction;












6.


Notes with regret that the 9th round of the high-level Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue ended without a comprehensive agreement on the scope of authority of the community of Serbian municipalities; calls on both parties to continue and intensify talks in order to find a mutually acceptable and sustainable solution to all outstanding issues as soon as possible; underlines that a normalisation of relations is in the best interests of Serbia and Kosovo and is a key step towards unblocking the European integration process;












7.


Emphasises the need for significant transparency in communicating the outcomes of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and involving the parliaments and civil societies concerned; stresses, in this regard, the need for the Kosovo and Serbian negotiators to build public trust and consult citizens;












8.


Reiterates that ideas of partitioning Kosovo or any other country of the Western Balkans run counter to the spirit of European integration; reiterates its support for the territorial integrity of Kosovo and for commonly agreed solutions to outstanding disputes; calls on all parties concerned to engage constructively in the EU-facilitated dialogue and to refrain from any action which may spark tensions in the region;












9.


Underlines the need for local responsibility and ownership of the reconciliation process; considers that the Kosovo authorities should take further steps to reach out to the Serbian minority, particularly in the north, so as to ensure broad integration within society while also ensuring that the constitutional principle granting Kosovo Serbs the right to access all official services in their own language is fully implemented; takes the view, at the same time, that cooperation between all Kosovo Serbs should be enhanced and that the Commission should support related projects and promote people-to-people contact; encourages all Kosovo Serbs and their political representatives to use all the possibilities afforded to them by the Kosovar constitution to play a constructive role in politics and society; considers the opening of the administrative office in northern Mitrovica to be a positive step; notes, however, that many civil society activists in northern Mitrovica are experiencing less freedom to do their work, facing a strengthening of mainstream nationalistic sentiment over the past year;












10.


Calls for full transparency in the financing of schools and hospitals in north Kosovo, in accordance with the provisions of the Ahtisaari plan;












11.


Deplores the vandalising of two Serbian cemeteries and urges the Kosovo authorities to bring to justice those responsible for such heinous acts;












12.


Calls on the Kosovo authorities and EULEX to take steps to prepare a roadmap and implement the decentralisation process fully in order to improve the functioning of local authorities in accordance with the Kosovo constitution, including in the north;












13.


Welcomes the decision of the board of the Regional Cooperation Council accepting Kosovo as a member of this organisation; considers this to be an important step forward for the country on its path towards regional and European integration;












14.


Welcomes the review and extension of the EULEX mandate and the appointment of Bernd Borchardt as head of mission; considers that the European Court of Auditors’ report on EU assistance related to the rule of law in Kosovo raises very important concerns, especially as regards the efficiency of such assistance, high-level corruption, organised crime and the lack of clearly identified objectives; endorses the analysis and recommendations set out in that report and calls on all the actors involved to implement them, thus improving the effectiveness of EU assistance;












15.


Underlines the importance of the success of EULEX for both the sustainable development of Kosovo and the consolidation of its institutions and stability; further underlines the importance of Kosovo strengthening its close cooperation with EULEX and supporting EULEX’s work in all areas of its mandate; emphasises that EULEX should urgently address the need for transparency and accountability in its work and calls for an efficient and transparent system within EULEX structures to ensure that complaints by citizens and representatives of civil society are taken into account; encourages EULEX to communicate better its accomplishments to Kosovo citizens, to work to increase trust in the mission and to be alert to citizens’ expectations;












16.


Underlines the necessity of effective internal management, coordination and cooperation within EULEX; calls on EULEX to renew and strengthen its efforts to improve the rule of law in Kosovo, and to focus the exercise of its executive powers on the repression of high-level corruption and organised crime; stresses the responsibility of EULEX as regards its executive powers and its mandate to monitor, mentor and advise; calls on the Member States in particular to ensure that EULEX is staffed appropriately, in terms of quality, time-span and gender balance, and that the composition of staff reflects the necessities on the ground;












17.


Supports the Special Investigative Task Force established following the December 2010 report of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly; considers that thorough investigation of all the allegations set out in that report is in Kosovo’s interests; calls on the Kosovo authorities and on the authorities of neighbouring countries to cooperate fully and to support the Special Investigative Task Force;












18.


Stresses the need for better cooperation and better coordination of assistance between the Member States, EU institutions and other international donors in order to avoid any overlapping of activities and ensure efficient resource management; welcomes Kosovo’s membership of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) as of December 2012;












19.


Encourages the Kosovo authorities to step up their efforts to combat the high level of unemployment and poverty in the country through further economic reforms and an improved investment climate;












20.


Welcomes the launch of the visa dialogue and the handover of the visa roadmap in June 2012; urges swift and strict implementation of the roadmap; calls on the Council and the Commission to inform Parliament regularly of the progress made in this field;












21.


Calls on the Kosovo authorities to meet the four short-term priorities which are criteria for the launch of stabilisation and association agreement negotiations, in the fields of the rule of law, minorities, administrative capacity and trade, and to enhance their administrative capacity for negotiations, specifically by continuing to restructure the Ministry of Trade;












22.


Urges the Kosovo authorities to step up their commitment and demonstrate their political will to strengthen the rule of law, in particular by providing evidence of the fight against organised crime and corruption; notes with interest the launch of the Structured Dialogue on the Rule of Law as a high-level forum for monitoring progress in relation to the rule of law; urges the Kosovo authorities to end the practice of granting pardons to large numbers of convicted criminals on the occasion of the celebrations marking the anniversary of Kosovo’s declaration of independence, and to apply stricter criteria in granting such pardons, always observing the separation of powers;












23.


Urges the Kosovo authorities to improve the independence, effectiveness, accountability and impartiality of the judiciary and to respect its independence, in both their actions and their public statements, including in connection with the investigation or arrest of public figures, and to respect EULEX’s mandate and exercise of its executive powers;












24.


Is concerned about the lack of significant progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime; calls on the Kosovo authorities to demonstrate real political will and courage to fight high-level corruption and to demonstrate more transparency and better governance, inter alia by coordinating Kosovo’s police forces and judicial authorities; reiterates its concern about the high level of organised crime in the north of Kosovo, notes the government’s adoption of an anti-corruption strategy and considers that Kosovo needs to adopt and implement this strategy with serious commitment; expresses concern about the lack of full participation in Europol and Interpol owing to the lack of recognition of Kosovo’s statehood and calls on the Member States to facilitate better cooperation between EULEX and Europol and Interpol and to seek possibilities for including Kosovo in both Europol and Interpol, at least as an observer;












25.


Notes, in this connection, that the European Court of Auditors’ report lists several instances in which the Kosovo authorities have declined to follow the advice and recommendations of EU institutions or EU-financed experts in the field, in particular in relation to the fight against corruption; notes that the organised crime present in Kosovo poses a considerable threat, and is facilitated by impunity, frequent political interference with the judiciary and law enforcement authorities, and high-level corruption;












26.


Notes that corruption and organised crime are widespread in the region and also represent an obstacle to Kosovo’s democratic, social and economic development; calls, in this connection, for a regional strategy and for enhanced cooperation between all the countries in the region in order to tackle these scourges more effectively, in particular the trafficking and exploitation of women and minors for the purpose of sexual exploitation or forced begging; welcomes the successful work carried out in this field by the ‘Ohrid cooperation’ between the governments in Pristina, Skopje, Podgorica and Tirana;












27.


Expresses concern about Kosovo’s limited framework for witness protection, which is particularly important in high-profile cases; underlines the importance of a fully functioning witness protection programme; calls on the Kosovo authorities to strengthen the effectiveness and credibility of the witness protection system, and on EULEX to increase its support for these efforts; urges the Member States to accept more cases of witness relocation and underlines the need to continue to seek ways to acknowledge the suffering and respect the right to truth and justice of all victims of war crimes, including support for the establishment of the RECOM regional truth commission;












28.


Considers it regrettable that, as a result of the 1999 war in Kosovo, 1 869 people are still missing; notes that this issue requires a prompt response, as uncovering the truth and enabling victims’ families to mourn their loved ones are vital preconditions for reconciliation between the communities and for a peaceful future in the region; stresses the need for better cooperation between missing persons committees and urges the authorities of all the countries concerned to make available the archives of the secret police and the military;












29.


Remains concerned by the continued trend of human trafficking through, and originating from, Kosovo, especially child trafficking for the purpose of sexual exploitation; calls on Kosovo to step up its efforts to fight human trafficking, including by increasing the capacities of its law enforcement and judicial authorities;












30.


Calls on all parties to finalise the electoral reform in order to establish a well-functioning electoral framework in line with international standards, in particular those of the Council of Europe, with the particular aim of reducing the room for election fraud and strengthening the political accountability of the legislature; is concerned about the shortcomings in the investigation and prosecution of electoral fraud connected with the December 2010 parliamentary elections, as highlighted in the OSCE report on the subject; calls on the responsible authorities to take into consideration the recommendations of the OSCE report; calls on EULEX to consider exercising its executive powers in this field, if its assessment is that the Kosovo judicial system is unable to remedy such shortcomings;












31.


Welcomes the significant improvements in Kosovo’s regulatory framework, including progressive legislation and policies on returns and repatriation, community rights, use of languages, anti-discrimination, gender equality and young people;












32.


Emphasises that despite these improvements, challenges remain in respect of human and community rights protection, non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, and participation of women and young people in decision-making; stresses that women, young people and communities continue to be under-represented at both the central and local levels;












33.


Firmly condemns the recent threats made against human rights activist Nazlie Balaj, a member of the Kosova Women’s Network, in response to her public defence of including an amendment to the Law on the status of martyrs, invalids and veterans, members of the Kosovo Liberation Army, civilian victims and their families which would enable people who suffered sexual violence during the war to be given equal status as veterans, and calls on the Kosovo authorities to investigate this incident and to ensure the protection of all human rights defenders;












34.


Calls on both central- and local-level institutions to implement legislation relating to human rights effectively and to contribute to the further development of a multi-ethnic society;












35.


Welcomes the work of the Ombudsperson and considers the budgetary independence of his or her office to be a matter of urgency;












36.


Emphasises the need for the Kosovo Assembly to strengthen its independence, expertise and capacity for oversight of the budget, the executive and the security sector, by improving its scrutiny of legislation and its monitoring of the implementation and impact of policies and laws;












37.


Underlines the importance of implementing the necessary reform of public administration and increasing the number of women and of people belonging to minorities at all levels of administration;












38.


Welcomes the fact that Kosovo’s legal framework provides for women’s rights and that gender equality is well enshrined in the legal system, and welcomes the progress made in this area; is concerned, however, about the high dropout rates among girls and the under-representation of women on the labour market, including in key sectors of society; urges the government and parliament to be more proactive and effective in implementing the relevant laws, including those against domestic violence and trafficking, in order to advance visibly on women’s rights and gender equality in Kosovo; calls on the Kosovo authorities to be more active in encouraging women’s political and societal participation, promoting their participation, and strengthening their position, on the labour market and mainstreaming gender equality;












39.


Stresses the central role of active and independent civil society organisations (CSOs) in strengthening and consolidating democratic political processes and building an integrated society in the country; recognises the important work carried out by CSOs and women’s organisations; underlines the importance of dialogue with CSOs;












40.


Underlines the central role of civil society organisations in building an integrated society, strengthening and consolidating democratic political processes in Kosovo and promoting dialogue and good neighbourly relations in the region, thus contributing to enhanced regional cooperation on social and political aspects; welcomes the government’s improved cooperation with NGOs, but calls for broader consultation of NGOs in policymaking and in the context of monitoring the authorities’ activities; calls, moreover, for their role in the stabilisation and association process to be enhanced;












41.


Stresses the need to encourage active citizenship through, inter alia, strengthening civil society and truly ensuring freedom of speech;












42.


Recognises that although the freedom to join trade unions is guaranteed by law, there is still need for improvements as regards basic labour and trade union rights; encourages Kosovo to strengthen social dialogue within the decision-making process, policy design and capacity-building for the social partners;












43.


Stresses that EULEX should step up its assistance to the Kosovo police with regard to training in de-escalating critical and sensitive situations before and during demonstrations; highlights that more efforts also need to be made by the authorities, assisted by EULEX, to obtain justice for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence in Kosovo and elsewhere in the Western Balkans;












44.


Is concerned that discrimination is still a serious problem; underlines the importance of guaranteeing the equality of all people regardless of their ethnic origin, gender, age, religion, sexual orientation or disability; stresses the need for a comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy addressing all grounds of discrimination, and for the full implementation of the Law on Anti-Discrimination; underlines the importance of raising awareness of what constitutes discrimination and what the legal remedies are;












45.


Calls on the authorities to give effect to the constitutional principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, to increase the knowledge of law enforcement officials about LGBT rights and to fight homophobia and transphobia; deplores, in this connection, the violent attack carried out in Pristina on 14 December 2012 by a group of people, including radical Islamists, on the premises where media outlet Kosovo 2.0 was to launch the latest issue of its magazine, the subject of which was sex, including LGBT issues; calls on the Kosovo police and the Ministry of the Interior to investigate the violent acts and threats perpetrated against the people involved, and to bring the perpetrators to justice; urges the authorities to make every effort to ensure that human rights are fully respected, including freedom of thought, speech and assembly;












46.


Highlights the importance of independent and free media; welcomes, in this connection, the amendments to the Criminal Code concerning the criminal liability of chief editors, publishers, printers and manufacturers, and the protection of journalistic sources, which entered into force on 1 January 2013;












47.


Takes note of the OSCE’s third community rights assessment report of July 2012, which points out that although a comprehensive and sophisticated legislative framework is in place, much remains to be achieved in order to provide real and meaningful protection of communities’ rights in Kosovo;












48.


Welcomes the adoption of relevant legislation for the protection and promotion of communities and of the religious and cultural heritage, and the successful taking-over of responsibility by Kosovo for the security of most cultural and religious sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church; particularly welcomes, in this connection, the creation of a special unit within the Kosovo police that will be exclusively dedicated to this task; calls for further implementation of the relevant legislation, particularly the Law on Communities; deplores the Kosovo authorities’ refusal to let Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic visit Kosovo and attend the Orthodox Christmas celebration in Gracanica; welcomes, in this respect, the meeting between Serbian President Nikolic and Kosovo President Jahjaga that took place in Brussels on 6 February 2013 in an open and constructive atmosphere under the auspices of Vice-President/High Representative Catherine Ashton, in the context of the efforts to normalise relations between the two sides;












49.


Deplores the Serbian authorities’ refusal to allow Kosovo’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, to cross the border and visit the Presevo Valley; deplores the long hours that Kosovo citizens have to wait in order to cross into Serbia;












50.


Stresses the importance of upgrading Kosovo’s relations and representation within international cultural and heritage institutions with a view to improving the protection of religious and cultural sites and monuments, and of upgrading its representation in European and international sports organisations with a view to enabling Kosovar athletes to take part in all international sports events, including European and world championships and the Olympics;












51.


Welcomes the establishment of Municipal Offices for Communities and Returns in most municipalities, but considers it regrettable that, notwithstanding the progress made, the return of refugees and internally displaced persons continues to be a challenge, particularly on account of security incidents; encourages the Kosovo authorities to make further efforts in this field, at both the central and local levels, giving particular attention to Serbian, Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian returnees;












52.


Welcomes the final closure of the lead-contaminated Osterode camp in north Mitrovica and the resettlement of the remaining families, including many Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian families, to newly constructed houses and one social apartment block, which are part of an EU-funded project; considers this to be an important step towards the full reintegration and inclusion of refugees and minorities in Kosovo society; urges the Kosovo authorities to start immediate clean-up operations in the contaminated area, and the Commission to provide the necessary technical and financial assistance; invites Kosovo to devote greater resources to the adoption and implementation of EU environmental standards;












53.


Welcomes the launch of the mid-term review of the Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (RAE) strategy and action plan; calls for more effective implementation and monitoring of the RAE integration strategy through further capacity-building and improved interinstitutional coordination; emphasises the need to implement fully the ‘Forty Actions’ to promote the social inclusion of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities at both central and municipal level, in line with the objectives of the European Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies; calls on the Kosovo authorities to include a gender perspective in the integration strategy and action plan for Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian communities;












54.


Is concerned that Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian children remain vulnerable and marginalised; calls on the authorities to give adequate attention to improving the living conditions of these communities, including their access to education;












55.


Is concerned about the high rates of child poverty and mortality, the low level of cover afforded by Kosovo’s social protection system and the high amount of out-of-pocket expenditure on healthcare, exposing vulnerable families to chronic poverty;












56.


Stresses that children with disabilities continue to be deprived of basic education, with only 10 % being enrolled in primary education; calls on the government to ensure that people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups can access healthcare, education and social services without discrimination; welcomes the adoption of recommendations on early childhood development by the Assembly of Kosovo;












57.


Welcomes the launch of a comprehensive mapping of child protection in Kosovo, and the progress made with regard to the adoption of a strong juvenile justice code aligning Kosovo with international and European standards; remains concerned, however, about the lack of specialised institutional infrastructure for young people in conflict with the law (victims and witnesses);












58.


Welcomes Kosovo’s final 2011 census results as a first step in providing decision-makers with timely and accurate information for policymaking; recognises, however, the challenges remaining as regards the availability of statistically sound and internationally comparable data, which are essential for evidence-based policies and for monitoring Kosovo’s progress;












59.


Calls on Kosovo to improve the business environment for small and medium-sized enterprises by reducing the administrative burden and associated costs, increasing access to finance and providing particular support for start-ups;












60.


Underlines the importance of assigning Kosovo an international telephone area code of its own, for both economic and political reasons; considers the present situation unsustainable and confusing, and calls on the competent international organisations to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and on Serbia to give up its veto on the matter;












61.


Calls on Kosovo to work on developing renewable energy and diversifying energy sources with a view to closing down Kosova A and rehabilitating Kosova B in accordance with its obligations under the Energy Community Treaty; underlines the necessity of devoting more of the financial aid provided by the EU and the EBRD to energy saving, energy efficiency and renewable energy projects; regrets that the EBRD is planning to support new lignite capacity (Kosova e Re) in its draft country strategy, and calls on the Commission to take action to contest plans such as this that run counter to EU climate commitments;












62.


Takes note of plans for new road infrastructure to improve connections between Pristina and bordering countries; notes that procurement practices in Kosovo remain inadequate, and underlines the need to ensure that procurement processes for such large projects are truly open, competitive and transparent; further notes that such infrastructure projects should be undertaken in accordance with the criteria set out in the current International Monetary Fund programme; stresses the importance of developing public transport, with particular regard to upgrading or creating new railway links as part of a sustainable transport system; suggests building up a cross-border system of high-speed railways between all countries in the Western Balkans, linked to the EU’s Trans-European Network;




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63.


Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European External Action Service and the Government and National Assembly of Kosovo.






(1)  A/RES/64/298.