The European Union expects the restoration of institutional stability in Kosovo, following the election of President Justina Shiroka-Pula, to enable the country to fully benefit from the opportunities available to it, including the EU Growth Plan. However, deadlines for implementing the required reforms are approaching quickly, and officials are being urged to treat the situation as urgent to prevent Kosovo from losing millions of euros in available funding.
Kosovo has approximately three months to complete 27 reform steps and report to the European Union on progress made on more than 23 additional steps. The reforms due by the end of December are worth €165.8 million, according to the EU. The assessment of steps due by June is still ongoing, the EU Office in Kosovo told KOHA.
“As you know, Kosovo can benefit from up to €882.6 million, provided it fulfils the selected reforms under the approved Reform Agenda, as well as the general and preconditions. The disbursement of EU funds depends on an assessment of whether the steps set out in the Reform Agenda have been completed, alongside compliance with the general conditions and preconditions,” said Nikola Gaon, spokesperson for the EU Office in Kosovo.
The EU said it expects the election of President Justina Shiroka-Pula to restore institutional stability, enabling Kosovo to “fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the EU, including the Growth Plan.”
However, given the limited time remaining, Njomza Arifi, director of the Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), warned that implementing the reforms has become urgent.
“The Reform Agenda has been one of the processes directly affected by the political crisis. We have lost time that cannot be recovered. After two years without functioning institutions, we are now in a very urgent situation,” Arifi said.
According to Arifi, Kosovo’s institutions should establish an internal task force to ensure the required measures are implemented on time and the country does not lose Growth Plan funding.
“As GLPS, we believe that, given the tight deadlines, the Reform Agenda must be a priority for both the government and the Assembly. We have therefore proposed establishing an internal coordinating task force that would clearly identify the priorities and reform measures, while coordinating not only within the executive branch but also with the Assembly and other institutions responsible for implementation,” Arifi stressed.
KOHA also sought clarification from the government regarding the steps being taken or planned to meet the deadlines, but received no response.
Arifi warned that failure to complete the required reforms by the end of this year would have consequences beyond the financial impact.
“If Kosovo fails to make the most of the remaining time, we will also send a very negative signal to the EU, showing that we have not been prepared to act on a plan that does not tie Kosovo to either the dialogue process or the EU integration process,” she said.
As part of the EU’s €6 billion Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, Kosovo has access to more than €800 million. The deadline for using these funds expires in the summer of 2027. If countries fail to implement reforms on time, the funds are returned to the EU budget.
So far, Kosovo has received no regular disbursements, apart from €61.8 million in pre-financing allocated in April this year.
