EU ontwerpplan voor overname VN-missie in Kosovo openbaar (en)

EUOBSERVER / STRASBOURG - The European Union is reportedly well-advanced in planning to replace the UN authority in Kosovo, despite the on-going deadlock over the disputed province's political future, a confidential EU report reveals.

The document, made available to the Associated Press on Monday (12 March), lays out a transition from UNMIK, the 3,000-strong UN administration that has been running Kosovo since 1999, to its EU-led successor.

The bloc envisages a 72-member EU delegation supported by 200 local staff, having a mandate to oversee the implementation of the UN plan.

Although it will be the local government having direct responsibility for running Kosovo, the chief EU representative would gain veto power over government decisions and the authority to fire officials found obstructing the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution.

The EU action plan, likely to cost $24.3 million in its first year, is surprisingly resolute given the fact that the one-year long negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina have seen no breakthrough, with a final round of talks between the two parties ending inconclusively Saturday (10 March).

The bloc has not only assumed the final UN blessing for Martti Ahtisaari's plan, putting Kosovo on the road to statehood, but also stands ready to enforce it, even though Serbia has rejected giving sovereignty to its breakaway region.

According to the AP, Serbian government officials refused to comment on the EU plan, saying they had not seen it.

But Kosovo presidential political adviser Muhamet Hamiti has welcomed "the EU's prudent and expeditious planning for the future EU-led civilian mission" although adding Kosovo's government had hoped for a less "intrusive" foreign presence that would not impede the work of Kosovo's institutions", the Associated Press reported.

By the end of March, UN envoy Martti Ahtisaari is expected to draw up his final recommendations for the compromise settlement and hand it over to the UN Security Council, a body entitled to carry the final decision.

In another report on Monday (12 March), MEPs in the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee voiced full support for Mr Ahtisaari's blueprint, but stopped short of putting a clear label on their rather pro-independence stance.

According to the parliament's report, the only sustainable settlement for Kosovo is one which "grants the disputed province access to international financial organizations...foresees an international presence in order to maintain the multi-ethnic character of Kosovo...provides international support in order to secure the development of effective, self-sustaining institutions for the entire population of Kosovo...and allows Kosovo to achieve its desire to be integrated in Europe."

However, MEPs have refused to suggest how such status should be entitled and ditched the call for "sovereignty supervised by the international community," originally mentioned in the report. Thirty four MEPs, mainly centre-left socialists, voted against a clear label, while 33 MEPs were in favour.

"It is a contradiction," Dutch green MEP Joost Lagendijk i, who drafted the text, told EUobserver, adding "the report is a clear description of independence or supervised sovereignty."

"We are not diplomats and I would expect the European Parliament to be as unambiguous as possible," he said, stressing "the Parliament's unequivocal position would be helpful to Mr Ahtisaari."

On the other hand, some MEPs have argued that such wording would be "blunt vis-a-vis Serbia" while others, especially from Greece, Cyprus, Spain and Romania, have seemingly followed their national positions, concerned that Kosovo could serve as a precedent for other breakaway territories.

According to Mr Lagendijk "supervised sovereignty is the best option to establish a viable framework that guarantees stability and protection for all the communities in Kosovo and a long-term self-sustaining economic and social development in the province."

"Further delay is in nobody's interest," he said, hoping that the European Parliament will have a clear position by the time his report sees the final vote in plenary on 29 March.