Kosovo’s Accession to EU to Prove Complicated as Republic Lacks Recognition

EU flagBRUSSELS (Sputnik) – The accession of the breakaway Republic of Kosovo to the European Union will be a lengthy and complex process, given that five member states have not yet recognized its sovereignty, a EU source told Sputnik. The Kosovar authorities signed an EU membership application at a solemn ceremony on Wednesday. “When it comes to applications by countries to join the EU, there is a specific procedure that should be followed, and Kosovo is no exemption to this. However, in this case, there are many different parameters that the EU institutions should take into account, as Kosovo is not recognized by five EU member states. And this aspect will complicate the process,” the source said. The bloc will consider Pristina’s application, but any further steps in the EU–Kosovo relations can be made only with the unanimous consent of all member states, the EU source explained. “The fact that five member states are not recognizing the country is something that needs to be resolved for advancing to the next steps. So this might be a lengthy process and quite demanding when it comes to proceeding to the next steps, but for sure, applying for EU membership is a very positive first step,” the source added. WorldKosovo Prime Minister Submits Application for EU Membership, Reports SayYesterday, 14:42 GMTIn 2008, the Kosovo-Albanian structures in Pristina unilaterally proclaimed independence from Serbia. Since then, Kosovo has been recognized by 100 UN member states. Of the 27 EU member states, five — Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain — have not recognized Kosovo’s sovereignty. In 2016, the European Union and Kosovo signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which confirmed Pristina’s intention to join the bloc and its readiness to carry out the required political, economic, trade and human rights reforms. In March 2022, the Kosovar parliament adopted a resolution urging the government to take all necessary steps to join NATO, the European Union, the Council of Europe and other international organizations.

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