EP-commissie steunt voorstel Ahtisaari voor Kosovo, maar spreekt niet over onafhankelijkheid (en)

A report passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday evening gave its full support to the Ahtisaari proposal for a status settlement, while avoiding any explicit mention of Kosovo's independence. The report also reaffirmed the European perspective of both Serbia and Kosovo, and called for the EU to play a central role in the current international negotiations for a settlement. The report is to be put to the full Parliament at the Brussels plenary of 29 March.

The Foreign Affairs Committee lent its full support on Monday to the UN-led drive to determine the final status of Kosovo, and to the Ahtisaari Proposal in particular. Martti Ahtisaari, former Finnish President, was the UN Special Envoy charged with devising a plan for the status settlement of Kosovo. His proposal, released early last month, would give Kosovo some of the trappings of sovereignty, such as rights to membership in international organisations, but does not advocate outright independence. The own-initiative report by Joost Lagendijk (Greens/EFA, NL) spelled out several desirable aspects of a settlement:

-access to international financial organisations

-an international presence in Kosovo, with a clear definition of its role and mandate

-clear provisions on decentralisation which grant substantial autonomy in key areas

-full respect for human rights

-retention of Kosovo's multi-ethnic character, with protection for cultural and religious sites

-the establishment of a limited, internal, multi-ethnic Kosovar Security Force

-international guarantees for the territorial integrity of all neighbouring states

Alternative wording that would have made explicit reference to Kosovo's "sovereignty" was narrowly rejected by the Committee.

International implications

Addressing fears, especially in Russia, that granting Kosovo any form of independence would exacerbate other separatist tensions around the globe, the report "underlines that the solution in Kosovo will set no precedent in international law, as Kosovo has been under UN rule since 1999 [...and] is in no way comparable to the situation in other conflict regions which are not under UN administration."

In addition, the committee is of the view that "in the long run, the solution regarding the future status of Kosovo lies also in the fact that both Serbia and Kosovo are due to become part of the EU, together with their neighbours, since the future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union."

The EU's role

The report emphasises that the EU Member States should speak with one voice on the Kosovo issue, by adopting a common position in Council, and maintaining it in international fora, especially the UN Security Council. (Par. 10) The committee also argued that "the European Union should have a decisive say on the final terms of the settlement." (Par. 9) Finally, the report stated that "the EP is prepared to make available the additional resources required in order to finance the future EU involvement in Kosovo with a view to implementing the status settlement." 

Procedure: own-initiative report -Plenary vote: 29 March, Brussels

12/03/2007

Committee on Foreign Affairs

In the Chair : Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP-ED, PL)