Life in Kosovo Debates the Issue of Headscarves in Public Schools
This Thursday, Life in Kosovo discusses the issue of wearing headscarves in public institutions.
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Every Thursday starting from 20:30, Radio Television Kosovo, RTK, broadcasts the TV debate show "Life in Kosovo", a joint production of BIRN and RTK.
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Olli Rehn: Visa-Free Travel Will Follow Reforms
02 February 2010 The EU enlargement commissioner discusses the conditions for visa liberalisation for Kosovo and highlights rule of law as a key area where improvement is needed.
Q: Looking at the changes to the European Union visa regime, and to liberalization, where is Kosovo on that process?
A: This process has started with those countries that met the conditions on issuing biometric passports and integrating their border control systems for instance. This first materialized with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, which met these conditions, and will be followed by other countries later on. In Kosovo we have created a structural approach, which will facilitate eventually visa liberalization once Kosovo meets all the conditions.
Q: Critics say you should have made more demands of Serbia regarding its [policy towards its] neighbours before you allowed it into the visa free regime. How would you respond?
A: Visa-free travel, visa liberalization, is not conditional on the kind of issues that you referred to. Serbia has met all the conditions for visa-free travel. We respect our own rules and we play by the book and therefore Serbia and its citizens have been able to enjoy visa free travel as of December 19, 2009.
Q: While citizens of Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro are free to travel to Europe, Kosovars are not free to travel using Kosovo documents to Europe or within the Western Balkans.
A: That it is related to the question of Kosovo’s status. Twenty-two EU member states have recognised Kosovo’s independence but five have not. In this framework, the Commission has proposed a structural approach, which, nevertheless, can be supported by all EU member states. Now it is up to Kosovo to show that it can meet the conditions.
Q: What must Kosovo do?
A: The conditions include [tackling] organised crime and corruption, the future issue of biometric passports and insuring that border control systems work in reliable manner.
Q: Is there a practical example from other countries in the world that could serve as a model so that Serbia could continue to retain the policy of not recognising Kosovo but allow Kosovars to cross the border?
A: Let’s work on the basis of this decision that the European Union has made to Kosovo. Of course, it is important for the whole region that Serbia is also going towards the European Union.
Q: You have said Kosovo has European perspectives. You repeated this after the publication of the Progress Report for Kosovo 2009. Does this perspective have a timeline? When will Kosovo join the European Union?
A: There is no specific timeline because for us quality is more important then speed and substance is more important than a schedule. Whenever any country joins the European Union it has to meet all the conditions. Therefore, this works starts at home. We want to see Kosovo reinforcing its public administration, continues to reform the judiciary so that a rule of law can genuinely function in Kosovo, and intensify the fight against organised crime and corruption. These are critical issues; because the rule of law underpins every open society, every European Union society, and is therefore the starting point.
Q: Just after the publication of the Progress Report for 2009 for Kosovo, the Deputy Prime Minister, Hajredin Kuçi, argued that corruption and organised crime, the areas about which Kosovo was most criticized in the report, are EULEX’s own responsibility.
A: EULEX has its role to play in the rule of law, but frankly, if any leader says something like that, it is an evasion of responsibility. All political leaders are expected… to fight corruption and organised crime, and to take such decisions that will best enable an effective and efficient fight against corruption and organised crime.
Q: One year on, how do you see cooperation between EULEX with Kosovo’s institutions, the government and other institutions working till now?
A: EULEX was originally invited in by Kosovo government and it is essential that the Kosovo government and EULEX cooperate. There have been improvements but still there is plenty of room for improvement and I trust this will be done in the near future.
Q: In many areas where Kosovo is lagging behind, the European Union has offered financial and technical assistance. How could this support be better utilised?
A: The programmes need to be carefully planned in view of their potential benefit and added value to the economic and social welfare of the people of Kosovo. Of course, it is difficult to talk in details about each programme or project because each one has its own specifics but they should serve economical and social welfare, improve infrastructure and help reinforce the rule of law, which is the foundation of a functional society.
Q: Finally, what would you want to tell the people of Kosovo concerning their European Union perspective?
A: Kosovo has a European perspective, like the rest of the region, so it’s important for the people of Kosovo and the leaders to tackle those issues that are needed to materialise this European perspective – issues like the rule of law, and legislative and democratic reforms, and economic and structural reforms, so that Kosovo can become a more open society and economy. This, of course, will be to the benefit of the people of Kosovo in the first place but will also facilitate Kosovo’s integration into the European Union.
Climate Change
This December, representatives of around 192 countries gathered in Copenhagen, Denmark for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) to forge agreement on a Protocol determining how to collectively combat climate change. This will replace the Kyoto Protocol which expires in 2012, and hopefully correct its shortcomings.
Report on Kosovo`s Healthcare System
Monitoring report on all primary, secondary and tertiary (University Clinical Center of Kosovo, UCCK) healthcare institutions in Pristina, Prizren, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Gjakova, Klina, Decan, Istog and Vushtrri.
BIRN Report on Monitoring the Education System
Report on monitoring the elementary and high schools in Prishtina: Mitrovica, Ferizaj, Peja and Gjilan
Analytical report of the situation and the problems in the University of Prishtina
REPORT: Monitoring the Courts
Monitoring the work and administration of courts in Prishtina, Peja, Mitrovica, Gjilan, Ferizaj, Vushtrri and Skenderaj
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Balkan Investigative Reporting Network
The opinions expressed in Balkan Insight are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
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