The European Commission has called on Kosovo to continue aligning fully with the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), while also strengthening its procedures for implementing EU policies and addressing foreign interference in the information space.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti frequently emphasizes that Kosovo is “100% aligned” with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, most recently repeating the position at a joint press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Prishtina. He also points to Kosovo’s alignment with EU sanctions against Russia over its war against Ukraine.
Kurti has used this record to argue that Kosovo should be granted EU candidate status.
However, in its latest Progress Report, the European Commission says Kosovo needs to do more to ensure consistent alignment with EU policies.
The report notes that the lack of stable institutions and systematic alignment procedures has hindered Kosovo’s ability to rapidly bring its policies into line with those of the EU.
At the same time, the Commission acknowledges that, during the reporting period, Kosovo achieved full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy, in accordance with the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the two sides.
This included alignment with statements issued by the EU High Representative on behalf of the Union, as well as Council decisions introducing EU restrictive measures.
Despite this progress, the Commission has issued several recommendations for Kosovo to pursue over the coming year.
In particular, Kosovo is expected to:
- Maintain full alignment with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy and establish a systematic process for ensuring continued alignment.
- Further align its legislation on small arms and light weapons with the EU acquis, particularly the Law on Weapons and the Law on the Civil Use of Explosives.
- Make concrete and credible efforts to reduce opportunities for foreign information manipulation and interference.
The recommendations underline that, while Kosovo has achieved full alignment in the area of EU foreign and security policy during the reporting period, the European Commission expects this alignment to be maintained through more consistent institutional procedures and broader legislative and policy reforms.
