The European Union is expected to remove all sanctions against Kosovo on Monday, March 2, which were imposed more than two and a half years ago.
According to EU sources, the decision has been taken by the relevant bodies of the European Commission and will also be approved by member states at the Working Group on the Western Balkans (COWEB) meeting in Brussels on Monday.
The removal of all measures against Kosovo was previously announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after a meeting with Western Balkan leaders, including President Vjosa Osmani. At that time, the Commission had indicated that all measures would be lifted “in the early part of 2026.” Since then, the European Commission has stated that it has been “working on removing the remaining measures” and that the president’s announcement will be fulfilled.
At the end of last year, the European Commission had already lifted sanctions affecting around 50 percent of financial assistance, totaling approximately €216 million. Now, all remaining measures will be removed, including the release of €205 million in funds from the Pre-Accession Assistance Programs and the Western Balkans Investment Fund.
The sanctions against Kosovo were imposed in June 2023 as a response to actions by Kosovo authorities that the EU and several partners, including the United States and Albania, assessed as “unilateral, uncoordinated measures that increase tensions in northern Kosovo.”
At the time the measures were introduced, many EU states supported them, believing they would be limited. It later became clear that the sanctions were extensive, blocking roughly half a billion euros from various EU funds.
In addition to financial sanctions, the EU also imposed measures restricting high-level meetings with Kosovo government representatives, except in the context of dialogue, northern Kosovo issues, and regional meetings and visits.
EU sources report that between March 11 and 13, Kosovo will be visited by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos. In her 14 months in office, she has not visited Kosovo, while she has visited all other countries in the region. The lack of a fully legitimate government in Kosovo throughout 2025 was also cited as a reason for her not visiting sooner.
Alongside financial sanctions, all remaining political measures are also expected to be lifted.
