European Commission announces measures against Pristina

Foto: Tanjug/AP

This week, the European Commission will formally propose a list of measures against the authorities in Pristina for not complying with the request for de-escalation in the north of Kosovo, the head of the Directorate-General for Neighborhood and Enlargement Negotiations, Gert Jan Koopman, said in Brussels.

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The announced measures include freezing the work of bodies within the Stabilization and Association Agreement, suspending European funds for Kosovo and Metohija and suspending political contacts with the authorities in Pristina, writes RTS.

"We will suspend the planning of funds for Kosovo, and Pristina's proposals under the financial framework for the Western Balkans will not be processed. Ongoing support through the public procurement process and the signing of contracts will also be suspended," Koopman told the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, together with EU representative for dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

Political contacts and high-level meetings with representatives of Pristina will also be suspended, Koopman said.

He stressed that there are "very few signs" of de-escalation on the part of the authorities in Pristina and that the European Commission is "very concerned" about the risk of the conflict spreading.

These measures should be understood as temporary and reversible decisions, which depend on concrete moves towards de-escalation by the Pristina authorities, in order to ensure a return to dialogue, Koopman said.

The EU's high representative for foreign policy, Josep Borrell, announced earlier that the EU will take new political and financial measures against Pristina, unless the situation in the north of Kosovo and Metohija calms down.

(Telegraf.rs)