Kosovo will likely have to write off the €42 million it paid to cover electricity costs in the north between October 2022 and December 2023, after Elektrosever failed to fulfill its licensing obligations.
Despite earlier verbal commitments that Brussels would secure financial mechanisms to compensate Kosovo—promises made specifically to prevent the removal of Elektrosever’s license—the European Union now claims there is “no legal basis” for compensation.
According to the EU’s External Action Service:
“We do not see a legal basis for this. The EU Special Representative, Sorensen, remains ready to address concerns raised by the parties in the dialogue.”
This marks a significant reversal from earlier assurances reportedly given by former EU envoy Miroslav Lajčák.
How the Promise Was Made — and Broken
In March 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Besnik Bislimi stated that Lajčák personally requested Kosovo’s Energy Regulatory Office (ERO) not to revoke Elektrosever’s license, even though the company repeatedly failed to begin billing customers in the four northern municipalities.
In exchange, Lajčák allegedly promised that the EU would identify funding mechanisms to cover Kosovo’s financial losses from October 2022 onward—precisely when Elektrosever was required by license to start billing.
However, despite being licensed in June 2022, Elektrosever did not start billing until January 2024, more than 15 months late.
This operational failure forced Kosovo to cover electricity costs for the north, generating €42 million in direct budgetary damage during the specified period.
Kosovo’s Written Request Ignored
In April 2024, Bislimi formally notified the EU in writing, seeking the promised compensation based on Lajčák’s commitments.
Brussels has now effectively dismissed the request, signalling that Kosovo will not be reimbursed.
This development raises serious questions about EU credibility in the dialogue process and its consistency toward the commitments made to Prishtina.
A Long-Term Burden for Kosovo
Since the end of the war, the total accumulated loss due to non-payment of electricity by residents in the four northern, Serb-majority municipalities is estimated at around €350 million—a burden carried almost entirely by Kosovo’s state budget.
The EU’s refusal to acknowledge its own prior commitments adds yet another layer of frustration to an already politically sensitive issue.
