Of course, there are still some uncertainties about the implementation of the agreement, which has not yet been ratified in both capitals. Kosovo Serb representatives immediately called for a demonstration in northern Mitrovica on April 22 to oppose the deal. But its political and symbolic significance cannot be reversed, even if Belgrade still formally refuses to recognize Kosovo. Since July 2010, when the International Court of Justice concluded that the unilateral declaration of independence in 2008 was legal, Serbia has not really had the opportunity to question the status of its former province. With only 2 pages, the agreement has 15 paragraphs. Paragraphs 1 to 6 concern the establishment, scope and tasks of a proposed community of Serb municipalities. Paragraphs 7 to 9 concern police and security structures and stipulate that there should be a police force for the whole of Kosovo, including its northern parts, known as the “Kosovo Police”. Paragraph 11 provides for the holding of local elections throughout Kosovo in accordance with the Law on Kosovo. Paragraph 12 provides for the development of an implementation plan and sets a (now obsolete) date by which the plan is to be completed. Paragraph 13 contains a commitment to intensify discussions on energy and telecommunications. Paragraph 14 states: “Neither side shall block the progress of the other side on its respective European path or encourage others to block it.” Paragraph 15 provides for the establishment of an Implementing Committee with the support of the EU.
Good news is so rare in Europe, especially in the Western Balkans, that we can treat ourselves to a little party. The agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, signed in Brussels on 19 April, is indeed historic. The 15-point agreement provides for the merger of the four northern Serb municipalities (North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic) under Kosovar law. This district would have powers over economic development, education, health care and urban planning. One of the stumbling blocks was security. The agreement stipulates that only the Kosovo police will be stationed in the north, but that the regional commander will be Serb and that the force will reflect the ethnic composition of the region. With regard to the judiciary, a department of the Kosovo Court of Appeal in North Mitrovica will hold a permanent session with mainly Serb judges. As for the municipal councils, elections will be held this year, also under Kosovar law. The NATO-Kosovo force currently stationed there will play a key role in maintaining law and order during the elections.
Within the framework of the Brussels Agreement, regular meetings are organised to ensure the implementation of the provisions in various areas. A court agreement was reached in February 2015, followed by agreements on energy and telecommunications operators. On 25 August 2015, an agreement was reached on the creation of the Association of Serb Communities, at the heart of the Brussels Agreement. The statutes have not yet been drawn up. The agreement also paves the way for EU membership and raises hopes for a virtuous circle for the entire region. Finally, this is a very welcome success for European diplomacy, embodied by Catherine Ashton, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Brussels Agreement (Serbian: Бриселски споразум / Briselski sporazum, Albanian: Marrëveshja e Brukselit), officially the first agreement in principle on the normalization of relations, was concluded between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo[a] on the normalization of their relations. [1] It was negotiated and concluded in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union, although it was not signed by either party. The negotiations were led by Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dačić and Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi and mediated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton.
The agreement was concluded on 19 April 2013. [2] The Serbian Government does not recognize Kosovo as a sovereign state, but has nevertheless begun to normalize its relations with the Government of Kosovo in accordance with the Brussels Agreement. The term normalization of relations remains vague and therefore largely problematic. [3] The Assembly of Kosovo ratified the agreement, incorporated it into law, and treated it as an “international agreement.” [20] “This is the best possible offer,” Serbian Prime Minister Ivica Dacic told reporters in his country. To reach an agreement, 10 high-level meetings have been required since last summer. The past of the two men gives an idea of how far they both traveled. Long ago, Dačić was the spokesman for former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Thaçi was a fighter in the Kosovo Liberation Army. Following the conclusion of the agreement, the European Commission officially announced that work on an SAA with Kosovo[8] should start and that accession negotiations with Serbia should begin. The agreement was supported by the European Union, NATO, the OSCE and the United Nations. [9] 1. There will be an association/community of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo.
Membership is open to any other congregation, provided that the members agree. The National Assembly of Serbia did not treat the agreement as international and did not ratify it into a binding law, which is a necessary procedure for international agreements in Serbia. [21] However, it only accepted the government`s report on the “previous process of political and technical dialogue with the temporary institutions in Pristina, mediated by the EU, including the process of implementing the agreements reached”. [22] The Constitutional Court in Belgrade did not answer the question of the constitutionality of the agreement and declared in December 2014[23] that the issue raised was a political issue and not a legal one. .