The EU Parliament called on EU member states to adopt targeted restrictive measures against EU candidate country Serbia in relation to the terrorist attack in north Kosovo on 24 September, carried out by Serbian paramilitaries.
The attack left one Kosovo police officer dead, and three Serbs were killed as Kosovo authorities tried to bring the situation back under control.
As Euractiv reported previously, measures against Serbia have already been drafted by the Commission but have not been enforced. The EU has called on Serbia to collaborate in full with the ongoing investigation into the attack.
The “Resolution on the recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo” was submitted jointly by five groups: European People’s Party, Socialists and Democrats, Renew Europe, the Greens, and European Conservatives and Reformists.
The Greens/EFA successfully pushed for a containment plan of the NATO-led KFOR mission in the north of Kosovo, including reinforcement and deployment as key deterrence of further violence at the border.
Viola von Cramon MEP, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to Kosovo and Greens/EFA moment, told Euractiv: “We can’t let the terrorist attack of September fade into the background. Every act of violence hurts Kosovo, hurts Serbia, and hurts Europe.”
She added that there is a need for an independent and EU-supported investigation of the Banjska attack by Kosovo authorities.
“Serbia must cooperate unconditionally in the investigation. Standing firmly at Kosovo’s side is essential for the future of peaceful dialogue in the region.”
Tonino Picula, S&D spokesperson for foreign affairs and negotiator on the resolution on Serbia and Kosovo, said:
“The cowardly terrorist attack, which we condemn in the strongest terms, is a watershed moment, unprecedented in post-war times. This calls for serious political consequences, such as targeted sanctions against destabilising actors in the north of Kosovo.”
He called on the Commission to freeze pre-accession funding if investigations reveal the Serbian state was directly involved either in the September attack, previous attacks against KFOR forces in May, or if they refuse to cooperate with the investigation.
Furthermore, Picula said the build-up of Serbian troops at the Kosovo border is very worrying and he called on NATO to come up with a containment plan for the north of the country and for EU countries to deploy additional troops without delay.
“Serbia’s continued close relationship with Russia and China raises serious questions about the country’s strategic direction. We remain very concerned about the destabilising influence of the Serbian authorities, led by President Aleksandar Vučić, on the whole region,” he added.
The MEP also called for measures on Kosovo to be lifted as soon as possible, but asked that Pristina establish the Association of Serb Majority Municipalities in line with EU-backed dialogue agreements.
“The only solution is normalisation of relations through compromise, for which we need proper investigation and prosecution; no further escalation and return of both sides to EU-facilitated dialogue. In this context,” he concluded while calling on the EU to propose a new, innovative and balanced approach to overcome the stalemate.”
The resolution also urged High Representative Josep Borrell and EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue Miroslav Lajčák to facilitate the dialogue in a proactive manner and report to Parliament no later than the end of 2023 on their findings regarding Serbian and Kosovan engagement with, action on and delivery of the objectives of the dialogue.
Both interlocuters have been subject to significant criticism from Kosovo, Albania, and various MEPs over alleged bias and a failure to produce any concrete results, or signatures on the dotted line in the ongoing, but stalled dialogue process.
Furthermore, calls to reassess the dialogue in the context following the 24 September attack, and to consider a new approach are intensifying from multiple angles.
Borrell’s term ends in spring 2024, with Lajcak set to continue until 2025.
(Alice Taylor | Euractiv.com)
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