The ambassadors of the 27 member countries of the European Union, of the group called COREPER, have reached an agreement on changing the negotiating framework for Serbia’s membership, changes which state that the implementation of the Agreement on the way to the normalization of relations with Kosovo becomes an integral part of chapter 35 of this frame.
In the document approved by the permanent representatives of the member countries in the EU, to which Radio Free Europe had access, it is recalled that Kosovo and Serbia reached an agreement in February of last year in Brussels and then in March in Ohrid they reached agreement on Annex of the implementation of the agreement.
In the document, it was said that the implementation of this agreement will be an integral part of the conditions on the path of both countries towards EU integration.
The proposal to change chapter 35 of the negotiating framework for Serbia was made by the European Commission and the EU External Action Service, after such a thing was requested by the EU member states.
After several failures to reach an agreement on these changes in the EU working groups, the issue was passed to COREPER and on the evening of April 15, the member countries reached an agreement.
Once this change is formalized, it will also be communicated in writing to Serbia, which is in the process of negotiations for membership in the European bloc.
Progress in the process of normalizing relations with Kosovo was part of the conditions in Belgrade’s EU membership negotiations, but now the condition of implementing the agreement reached last year is specifically mentioned.
This agreement, of 11 articles, among other things, foresees a level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo and mutual recognition of state symbols, while asking Pristina and Belgrade to also implement all previous agreements reached during the dialogue.
In the new text of the negotiating framework, the following sentence is set as a condition: “Serbia fully implements the obligations arising from the Agreement on the way to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, according to the Annex of its implementation, as agreed on March 18, 2023 “.
The EU insists that the agreement and the annex, despite not being signed by the parties, are legal obligations for both countries.
Serbia, through its officials, has said several times that it will not implement parts of the agreement that deal with territorial integrity and Kosovo’s admission to international organizations.
Since Kosovo does not have the status of a candidate country for the EU, Kosovo’s obligations for the implementation of this agreement will be included in the work of the special group for normalization.