EU prospects for Kosovo
EU officials maintain that the countries, participating the Eastern Partnership program, should not hope that in near future they would be called as candidates to enter the European Union. The Eastern Partnership program offers member countries the financial and legal assistance in order "to synchronize" the local legislation, the Constitution in line with European legal standards as well as the assistance in the protection of cultural heritage, the development of transport infrastructures, etc.
Kosovo can be regarded as a good example. Andy MacGuffie, the head of communications at the International Public Fund, said during a meeting in Pristina with a group of journalists from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia that 400 million euros were spent by 25 founding member countries to synchronize Kosovo's laws and to write the Constitution and other legal documents in 2008.
The International Public Fund was deliberatly set up last year to provide assistance in the above mentioned questions, primarily as regards the local legal framework as well as to assist in building the local security forces, the Constitutional Court to monitor the situation with the rights of ethnic minorities. Euroradio correspondent asked Andy MacGuffie if similar funds could be established in Belarus and other members of the Eastern Partnership program. Andy MacGuffie said:
“The International Civil Office was founded for one country with a unique situation. We deliberately involved local citizens to participate in this project. We regard any problem from the position what is important for the government of Kosovo to resolve this problem.
Naturally, we have some supervisory powers and functions in the framework of Kosovo's Constitution, but we always say that we keep our powers and functions of influence on Kosovo's leadership locked. This is an instrument that we can resort to in the extreme case only. But, talking about our experience here over one year, we believe that both the local citizens and Kosovo's authorities are happy with us here. Our fund is a well-thought and necessary institute for Kosovo.
But I am not ready to say that this is the model that can be taken from here and placed in Belarus or any other country. The peculiarities of every country should be studied before thinking if these approaches are applicable there”.
But, Andy MacGuffie declined to detalize the powers and leverage this organization could take use of when dealing with the local athorities.
Andy MacGuffie: “We have the levers of influence, but we do not bring this possibilities with us to every meeting we have. In the first place, we try to be partners and advisers to the leadership of Kosovo”.
Although Kosovo's Constitution has already been written and passed, and security forces have been in place, the foundation will continue to work in this country. There are still problems with the protection of cultural heritage, education and the rights of ethnic minorities. The foundation's budget for the next fiscal year has already been approved and valued in hundreds of million euros. However, EU officials describe Kosovo as nothing but a potential candidate for EU membership.
“Kosovo and other countries in the western Balkans are more important to us from the standpoint of EU's enlargement on the other geographical directions", Pieter Feith, EU's Special Representative in Kosovo told a group of journalists from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia.
Five EU members states (Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Spain) have not recognised Kosovo's independence. At the same time, EU supports the countries, who recognised Kosovo, in opening their missions and developing their programs. The reason is the Balkan region remains a "black hole" on the map of the European Union, which wants to fill this hole as soon as possible. Kosovo's annual budget is around 600 million euros. At the same time, EU and other foreign donors sent 1.2 billion to Kosovo in 2008.
Meanwhile, EU officials maintain that Eastern Partnership member states should not hope even in the near future that they could be named as candidates for EU membership.
Kosovo can be regarded as a good example. Andy MacGuffie, the head of communications at the International Public Fund, said during a meeting in Pristina with a group of journalists from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia that 400 million euros were spent by 25 founding member countries to synchronize Kosovo's laws and to write the Constitution and other legal documents in 2008.
The International Public Fund was deliberatly set up last year to provide assistance in the above mentioned questions, primarily as regards the local legal framework as well as to assist in building the local security forces, the Constitutional Court to monitor the situation with the rights of ethnic minorities. Euroradio correspondent asked Andy MacGuffie if similar funds could be established in Belarus and other members of the Eastern Partnership program. Andy MacGuffie said:
“The International Civil Office was founded for one country with a unique situation. We deliberately involved local citizens to participate in this project. We regard any problem from the position what is important for the government of Kosovo to resolve this problem.
Naturally, we have some supervisory powers and functions in the framework of Kosovo's Constitution, but we always say that we keep our powers and functions of influence on Kosovo's leadership locked. This is an instrument that we can resort to in the extreme case only. But, talking about our experience here over one year, we believe that both the local citizens and Kosovo's authorities are happy with us here. Our fund is a well-thought and necessary institute for Kosovo.
But I am not ready to say that this is the model that can be taken from here and placed in Belarus or any other country. The peculiarities of every country should be studied before thinking if these approaches are applicable there”.
But, Andy MacGuffie declined to detalize the powers and leverage this organization could take use of when dealing with the local athorities.
Andy MacGuffie: “We have the levers of influence, but we do not bring this possibilities with us to every meeting we have. In the first place, we try to be partners and advisers to the leadership of Kosovo”.
Although Kosovo's Constitution has already been written and passed, and security forces have been in place, the foundation will continue to work in this country. There are still problems with the protection of cultural heritage, education and the rights of ethnic minorities. The foundation's budget for the next fiscal year has already been approved and valued in hundreds of million euros. However, EU officials describe Kosovo as nothing but a potential candidate for EU membership.
“Kosovo and other countries in the western Balkans are more important to us from the standpoint of EU's enlargement on the other geographical directions", Pieter Feith, EU's Special Representative in Kosovo told a group of journalists from Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Russia.
Five EU members states (Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Cyprus and Spain) have not recognised Kosovo's independence. At the same time, EU supports the countries, who recognised Kosovo, in opening their missions and developing their programs. The reason is the Balkan region remains a "black hole" on the map of the European Union, which wants to fill this hole as soon as possible. Kosovo's annual budget is around 600 million euros. At the same time, EU and other foreign donors sent 1.2 billion to Kosovo in 2008.
Meanwhile, EU officials maintain that Eastern Partnership member states should not hope even in the near future that they could be named as candidates for EU membership.
