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Posted by
Olog-hai
on Sat Jul 10 12:55:15 2010, in response to EU Taking Over Kosovo (from UN), posted by Olog-hai on Wed Aug 27 02:03:20 2008.
edf40wrjww2msgDetailOT:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Yup, here's the next step: total EU recognition of Kosovo. Rather like how Germany recognized the independence of Croatia and Slovenia back in 1991 and instigated the war in Bosnia as a result.
(The EU has an "Enlargement Commissioner". Imagine if the USA had a "Secretary for New Statehoods"?—we'd be accused of imperialism or something, but the EU gets a free pass even though Barroso called the EU an "Empire" three years ago. It's also hilarious that EULEX is suddenly a "rule of law mission" when der Spiegel clearly noted that it had little legal backing when it started and "insinuated itself" into Kosovo back in August of 2008.)
EurActiv
Parliament calls on all EU countries to recognize KosovoPublished: 09 July 2010
The European Parliament has called on the five remaining EU member states yet to recognize Kosovo's independence to do so. But leading MEPs admitted that no moves were expected before a ruling from the International Court of Justice on the legality of the former Serbian province's independence, due in the coming weeks.
In a resolution adopted yesterday (8 July), MEPs say they "would welcome the recognition by all member states of the independence of Kosovo," referring to the five that are dragging their feet — Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Romania and Slovakia.
The parliamentarians urge the EU-27 to "step up their common approach towards Kosovo" in order to make EU policies more effective for everyone in the territory. They also reject the possibility of a partitioned Kosovo.
Cyprus, a divided island since the Turkish invasion in 1974, rejects Kosovo's declaration of independence owing to its stance on territorial integrity and the lack of UN approval. It is backed by Greece, while Spain — which has its own regional tensions — cites lack of respect for international law as justification for its opposition.
Romania, home to an ethnic Hungarian community in 'Székely Land' that is pushing for a higher level of autonomy, and Slovakia, with its own significant Hungarian minority group, have also rejected the legality of Kosovo's secession from Serbia.
Despite member states' differences regarding Kosovo's status, the Parliament affirms that it is vital for the EU to engage with Kosovo so that stability and security in the Western Balkans — the EU's immediate neighborhood — can be preserved and built upon.
In the resolution, adopted by 455 votes to 155, MEPs call on the European Commission and member states to take practical steps to make the benefits of EU cooperation more tangible to people in Kosovo — such as allowing visa liberalization for its citizens once the necessary criteria have been met.
"To this end, the Commission should communicate without delay to the Kosovo authorities the steps that need to be taken before preparing the visa liberalization road map," states the document.
A study by Votewatch.eu presented at a public event on 9 June revealed that all MEPs from the five countries who have not recognised Kosovo except Slovakia had voted against the resolution, across party lines. Only Slovak MEPs had a split vote, Doru Frantescu from Votewatch explained.Tensions ahead of ICJ rulingThe resolution also calls on Serbia to adopt a "pragmatic" approach to Kosovo, as tensions rise ahead of the pending decision by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence.
"While understanding the emotional implications of the aftermath of the 1999 war and understanding that the official recognition of Kosovo is not a feasible political option at the moment for the Belgrade leadership, [the Parliament] nevertheless calls on Serbia to be pragmatic on the status issue," it states.
MEPs expressed concern over the state of relations between the two, following an outburst of violence in northern Kosovo. On 2 July, a hand grenade thrown into a protest by ethnic Serbs killed one man and injured several others, while three days later an ethnic Serb member of the Kosovo Assembly was shot and wounded.
Parliamentarians urged the EU's EULEX rule of law mission to step up its efforts in northern Kosovo in order to help improve inter-ethnic relations and inform local citizens about what the EU is doing to help.
Austrian MEP Ulrike Lunacek, a member of the Greens/EFA group and author of the Parliament's resolution on Kosovo, said that the EU assembly had "made clear that European integration is the future of an independent Kosovo" and had given a "clear signal" to the five member states that have not recognised it.
Asked by EurActiv if she really expected some of the five countries to change their positions following the vote on the resolution, she said: "Let's wait for the ICJ opinion; it will come in a few weeks, and we'll talk again."PositionsSpeaking in the European Parliament on Wednesday (7 July), EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle called for calm ahead of the ICJ decision on the legality of Pristina's declaration of independence.
"The EU member states have condemned the violence and they made it absolutely clear that to achieve objectives in Kosovo, violence cannot be tolerated," he said. "We ask for all sides to show restraint as we wait for the ICJ opinion on Kosovo," he added.
Füle affirmed the EU's commitment to a common approach towards Kosovo, but warned Pristina that it should make concrete progress if it wants to move forward with EU integration. "The timing and scope of Kosovo’s progress is determined by Kosovo itself," he stated.BackgroundKosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008, nine years after the end of the 1999 war between Belgrade's security forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas. In the following years, Kosovo became an international protectorate under a UN mandate, patrolled by NATO peacekeepers.
Since its proclaimed independence, the two million-strong republic — 90% of which is composed of ethnic Albanians — has established many of the trappings of statehood, including a new constitution.
Sixty-nine countries have recognized Kosovo, including the US and most EU member states (except Spain, Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia). Serbia, backed by Russia, is staunchly opposed to Kosovo's independence.
In December 2009, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began examining the legality of Kosovo’s secession from Serbia on the latter’s request. Its decision, due imminently, could tip Kosovo's future towards full international recognition or push it back under the auspices of the Serbian state.
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