The European Parliament has officially adopted a resolution on Kosovo, calling for the immediate removal of the European Union’s (EU) punitive measures and urging a comprehensive and legally binding agreement with Serbia based on mutual recognition.
The resolution emphasizes that Kosovo has met the required criteria for these sanctions to be lifted.
It also calls for full normalization of relations between Pristina and Belgrade, a process that should culminate in a sustainable peace agreement.
The author of the resolution draft, MEP Riho Terras, underlined that the sanctions against Kosovo have been unjust:
“We demand the immediate removal of the EU’s punitive measures. These have been unfair and unnecessary from the very beginning. The EU funds many projects supporting Kosovo’s European agenda — therefore, we must end the sanctions and allow Kosovo to move forward with the resources we provide,” Terras stated.
The resolution welcomes Kosovo’s application for EU membership, supports its accession to the Council of Europe, and its participation in NATO’s Partnership for Peace program.
It also calls on the five EU member states that have not yet recognized Kosovo’s independence to do so.
A specific section of the resolution addresses the security situation in northern Kosovo, particularly following the terrorist attack in Banjska and the incident at the Ibër-Lepenc canal.
The European Parliament criticized Serbia for failing to prosecute those responsible for the attack, including Milan Radoičić.
Simultaneously, a separate resolution on Serbia was adopted, sharply criticizing Belgrade’s close ties with Russia and its efforts to destabilize the region.
The resolution calls for a review of EU financial aid to Serbia if it continues cooperating with Moscow.
“Statements by Serbian leaders regarding EU integration sound increasingly unconvincing — especially now, as they plan visits to Moscow and energy agreements with Russia this week,” said Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia.
“EU membership is a responsibility, not an alibi to evade accountability.”
The resolution also condemns the so-called “appeasement policy” of the European Commission toward Serbia, urging Brussels to take a firmer and clearer stance in its relations with Belgrade.
