The European Committee of the Regions has decided to remove the use of the footnote attached to Kosovo’s name in its documents and official communications, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities announced on Thursday.
According to the association, it was informed by the Committee of the Regions that in its latest opinion on the EU Enlargement Package 2025 for the Western Balkans and Turkey, the body decided that future public documents and communications will no longer use “Kosovo” with a footnote*, but simply “Kosovo.”
The decision applies specifically to the documents and communications of the Committee of the Regions, the association said.
For example, the committee used the footnote in May 2025 when it announced on its website meetings with local and regional politicians from Albania, Kosovo, and Moldova, aimed at accelerating preparations for European Union membership.
Founded in 1994, the Committee of the Regions is the EU’s assembly of local and regional representatives. It represents regional and municipal authorities across the European Union and provides advice on EU legislation that affects regions and cities.
What Is the Footnote?
On February 24, 2012, within the framework of the dialogue on the normalization of relations, Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement on regional representation, later known as the “footnote agreement.”
Under this agreement, a footnote would be added to Kosovo’s name whenever the country was mentioned, enabling Kosovo to participate in various regional and international conferences and initiatives.
The footnote stated:
“This designation is without prejudice to status and is in line with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and the International Court of Justice opinion on Kosovo’s declaration of independence.”
For years after the agreement, Kosovo’s name in many documents of the United Nations, the European Union, and other international institutions was followed by the footnote symbol.
However, in recent years the footnote has increasingly been omitted in some documents, including resolutions of the European Parliament and documents related to the Ohrid Agreement on normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia.
