Gert Jan Koopmann, director-general for Negotiate Negotiations with the European Commission’s Economic and Enlargement Countries, has declared he believes he should start reviewing Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union, delivered in December 2022.
However, he has stressed that the process is facing obstacles, citing Kosovo’s non-recognition by five EU member states, developments in the country’s north and the issue of Specialised Chambers.
Personally, I think it’s very important that we start considering her application. I think, as you know, the five states that do not recognise Kosovo are reluctant. But it’s not just these five countries. There have also been problems in the north of the country, and the issue of Specialised Chambers has now been restored, he has declared.
Koopman has described it as extremely useless to pass the Law on Specialised Chambers, praising that Kosovo should prove its commitment to European integration.
I understand today that a law has been passed. This is extremely useless. I would look at the issue in the opposite direction: because we have a delicate institutional situation, with five states that do not recognise Kosovo, the country in all these other issues should really show and prove its commitment to the European road fully, he added.
The European Commission official has said the law on Specialised Chambers should not be adopted and that the situation in the north should be managed properly.
This means not to pass the law on Specialised Chambers and ensure that the situation in the north of the country is managed properly. I think that if this is done, it is fully feasible for the Council of the European Union to invite the European Commission to start work on application and give an opinion, which is the next step. Later, it is up to the Council to decide whether Kosovo will be granted candidate country status, he has continued.
In the end, Koopman has estimated that obtaining candidate country status should not be very difficult if Kosovo meets the requirements mentioned, but has stressed that the country has not yet reached that point.
Kosovo is partner in the enlargement process and its financing comes from an instrument called the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance ( IPA). Therefore, I don’t think it should be very difficult for countries to grant Kosovo candidate country status, provided it meets all these requirements. But we’re not at that point yet, Koopman said in an interview. Atlantic Council Europe Center.
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