On the 2025 Commission report on Kosovo

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on the 2025 Commission report on Kosovo

(2025/2252(INI))

– having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo, of the other part, in force since 1 April 2016,

– having regard to Kosovo’s application for membership of the European Union of 15 December 2022,

– having regard to Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe of 12 May 2022,

– having regard to the framework agreement between the European Union and Kosovo on the general principles for the participation of Kosovo in Union programmes, in force since 1 August 2017,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards Kosovo, allowing visa-free travel for holders of Kosovo biometric passports as of 1 January 2024,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1449 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans,

– having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council meeting of 19 and 20 June 2003,

– having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summits, held in Sofia, Zagreb and Brdo pri Kranju in 2018, 2020 and 2021 respectively, and their declarations,

– having regard to the Western Balkans Leaders’ meeting of 1 July 2025 in Skopje, North Macedonia, on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans,

– having regard to the declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit of 17 December 2025,

– having regard to the Presidency conclusions of 16 December 2025 on enlargement,

– having regard to the Berlin Process, launched on 28 August 2014,

– having regard to the Chair’s conclusions of the 2025 Summit on the Berlin Process, held on 22 October 2025,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘New growth plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2023)0691),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2024 on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews (COM(2024)0146),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Kosovo 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0752),

– having regard to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, signed in Athens on 25 October 2005, which aims to extend the EU internal energy market rules to south-east Europe,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion of 22 July 2010 on the accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, and to UN General Assembly Resolution 64/298 of 9 September 2010, which acknowledged the content of the ICJ opinion and welcomed the EU’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo,

– having regard to Kosovo’s continued alignment with the EU common foreign and security policy,

– having regard to the first agreement on principles governing the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo of 19 April 2013, to the agreements of 25 August 2015, and to the ongoing EU-facilitated dialogue for the normalisation of relations,

– having regard to the Brussels Agreement of 27 February 2023 and the Ohrid Agreement of 18 March 2023 and to the implementation annex thereto,

– having regard to the continued presence and mandate of the NATO-led Kosovo Force (KFOR), which continues to help maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1161 of 5 June 2025 amending Joint Action 2008/124/CFSP on the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX Kosovo, which extended the mission’s mandate until 14 June 2027,

– having regard to the final report of the European Union Election Observation Mission on the 2025 parliamentary elections in Kosovo,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Kosovo,

– having regard to the joint recommendations adopted at the 12th meeting of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, held on 9 December 2024,

– having regard to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International,

– having regard to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A100000/2026),

A. whereas enlargement policy is one of the most effective EU foreign policy instruments, and a strategic geopolitical investment in long-term peace, stability and security throughout the continent;

B. whereas democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the fundamental values on which the EU is founded;

C. whereas each enlargement country is judged on its own merits; whereas it is the implementation of the necessary reforms and compliance with the set of criteria and common European values that determine the timetable and progress of accession;

D. whereas Kosovo’s path towards EU membership also depends on the normalisation of relations with Serbia;

Commitment to EU accession

1. Commends Kosovo’s continued commitment to EU accession, which reflects a clear strategic geopolitical choice and a high level of public support for Kosovo’s European path;

2. Reiterates its firm belief that Kosovo’s future lies in the EU, especially given the current geopolitical dynamics in the region, rapid major shifts in world politics and growing competition with authoritarian regimes;

3. Welcomes the formation of the new Assembly and Government of Kosovo on 12 February 2026, following the early parliamentary elections held in December 2025 and after more than a year of political stalemate; regrets, however, the paralysed political process during 2025 that resulted in a ‘lost year’ for Kosovo; regrets, further, the Assembly’s failure to elect a new President within the constitutional deadline, thus pushing the country towards new elections; takes note of the dissolution of the Assembly by presidential decree on 6 March 2026;

4. Welcomes, furthermore, the Kosovo Assembly’s ratification of the agreements under the Reform and Growth Facility on 13 February 2026;

5. Stresses that credible enlargement requires a sustained reform momentum and calls on Kosovo to step up its progress in implementing EU-related reform, particularly in the area of rule of law and fundamental freedoms; emphasises that reprioritising these reforms is necessary for Kosovo to get back on track towards EU accession;

6. Supports Kosovo’s application for EU membership submitted in December 2022; calls on the five non-recognising Member States to move towards recognition, enabling Kosovo to advance on an equal footing with other candidates;

7. Reiterates its full support for Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe and for the country’s strategic orientation plan to join the NATO Partnership for Peace programme;

8. Commends Kosovo’s continued full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including its continued implementation of EU restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, and its clear condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine;

9. Welcomes the gradual lifting of the EU measures against Kosovo since May 2025, and calls for the immediate lifting of the remaining measures, which are no longer justified and continue to have a negative impact on Kosovo’s society; notes that this impact is visible throughout society and has particularly affected local communities, civil society organisations and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs);

Democracy and the rule of law

10. Welcomes the overall positive assessment of the conduct of parliamentary and local elections in 2025, noting that they were conducted in a peaceful, competitive and inclusive manner;

11. Welcomes the participation of Kosovo Serbs in the 2025 parliamentary and local elections and the four newly appointed Serb mayors taking over from their Albanian predecessors in the Serb-majority municipalities;

12. Regrets continued attempts to politicise independent institutions, including pressure on the Central Election Commission, and governance shortcomings within the Independent Media Commission;

13. Remains concerned about the limited implementation of the rule of law strategy and insufficient follow-through on reforms, incomplete membership of the Kosovo Judicial Council and Kosovo Prosecutorial Council, and delays in implementing justice reforms;

14. Expresses concern over limited progress in the fight against corruption overall; notes with concern Kosovo’s decline in the Global Corruption Index for 2025, where it ranks 76th out of 182 countries and territories, three places lower than in 2024, reversing a previous trend of gradual improvement;

15. Welcomes the fact that some progress has been made in the fight against organised crime; calls for a swift adoption of a national strategy and action plan against organised crime;

16. Commends EULEX’s continued role in assisting Kosovo’s authorities in establishing sustainable and independent rule of law institutions;

Fundamental freedoms and human rights

17. Notes that while the legal and institutional framework for human rights is broadly in place, implementation remains insufficient;

18. Emphasises the need to strengthen the implementation of legislation safeguarding the rights of people belonging to non-majority communities;

19. Notes Kosovo’s pluralistic media landscape but regrets the lack of progress in ensuring freedom of expression; regrets that Kosovo’s ranking for media freedom has fallen 24 places to 99th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index;

20. Reiterates its concern over attacks and threats against journalists and media workers; calls for an improved prosecutorial response and alignment of media-related legislation with the EU acquis and other relevant international standards;

21. Stresses the need to ensure the sustainable funding and independence of the public broadcaster; calls for balanced and representative supervisory oversight of Radio Television of Kosovo, Kosovo’s public broadcaster;

22. Expresses concern about the increasing disinformation about inter-ethnic tensions being spread by foreign actors, particularly during election periods; calls for a strengthened institutional response and improved media literacy;

Reconciliation and good neighbourly relations

23. Recalls that normalisation of relations with Serbia and implementation of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue commitments remain an integral part of Kosovo’s European perspective;

24. Reiterates its full support for the EU-facilitated Dialogue and welcomes the extended mandate of Peter Sørensen as the EU Special Representative for the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue until 29 February 2028;

25. Reiterates the importance of constructive engagement on the part of the authorities of Kosovo and Serbia in order to achieve a comprehensive, legally binding normalisation agreement, based on mutual recognition and in accordance with international law; calls on both Kosovo and Serbia to implement the Brussels and Ohrid Agreements, including the establishment of the Association/Community of Serb-Majority Municipalities, and the lifting of Serbia’s opposition of Kosovo’s membership in regional and international organisations, and to avoid unilateral actions that could undermine the dialogue process;

26. Expects Kosovo and Serbia to fully cooperate and take all the necessary measures to swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of the 2023 terrorist attack in Banjska; deplores the fact that Serbia still has not prosecuted the culprits, most notably Milan Radoičić, the Vice-President of Srpska Lista;

27. Notes the unresolved fate of up to 1 590 missing persons, with only 26 cases resolved between April 2024 till September 2025;

28. Reiterates the importance of KFOR and commends its sustained efforts to ensure a safe and secure environment in Kosovo and in the Western Balkans region in general;

Socio-economic reforms

29. Notes that Kosovo is moderately prepared in the areas of economic and monetary policy and competitiveness; stresses that it needs to align its budgetary framework with the EU acquis and address structural weaknesses, including a narrow manufacturing base and difficult access to finance for SMEs;

30. Notes that Kosovo has made some progress in preparing for digital transformation, including in expanding online services and 5G coverage; regrets that only 10 % of public services are currently offered online and that digitalisation remains fragmented;

Energy, environment, sustainable development and connectivity

31. Notes that Kosovo remains heavily reliant on outdated coal-fired power plants and needs to accelerate investments in energy efficiency;

32. Encourages Kosovo to strengthen its institutional and administrative capacity to implement strategic infrastructure projects and continue implementing pending transport and energy connectivity projects;

33. Urges Kosovo to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to manage protected areas, amend the law on waste management, and implement the law on climate change;

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34. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the President, Government and National Assembly of Kosovo.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The European Parliament closely follows political and socio-economic developments in Kosovo. With this report, we aim to provide Parliament’s assessment of the situation in Kosovo and, in addition to the European Commission’s 2025 Progress Report, also Parliament’s political assessment of the period under review in Kosovo. In summary, 2025 must be considered a lost year for Kosovo, as after the regular elections to the National Assembly in February, neither a legislative body nor a government could be put into operation. Although all three elections, which took place in Kosovo in 2025 - two parliamentary and one local - were all conducted peacefully and in an orderly manner, the normal political process was deeply disrupted. As a result, several political and economic reforms suffered, and the Western Balkans Growth Plan could not be implemented.

As highlighted in previous reports by the European Parliament, Kosovo has made notable strides in electoral reforms, economic resilience, and the protection of fundamental rights. However, challenges remain in judicial reform, media freedom, public administration efficiency, and the digitalization of public services. Continued commitment to comprehensive reforms and inclusive governance is essential for Kosovo’s advancement on its European integration path.

Several of Kosovo’s challenges are legacy problems, the resolution of which requires the involvement of the entire region in the broader European Union integration process. The Pristina-Belgrade dialogue, which was launched to find a compromise acceptable to the parties, has unfortunately not yielded the expected results. The dialogue was basically dormant in 2025. This was also because Kosovo lacked a government with mandate and authority and negotiations in this form have no prospects. The European Commission, as well as the European Parliament and the Member States, must certainly do everything to ensure that the Pristina-Belgrade dialogue continues with renewed vigour. The extension of the mandate of the Special Representative, Peter Sörensen, until February 2028, is therefore very welcome.

The enlargement of the European Union has been one of the EU’s most important success stories and it must continue. The broader geopolitical goal of enlargement is to eliminate the so-called grey areas from the map of Europe. The significant changes that have taken place in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine must increase the European Union’s readiness to confront competing authoritarian global players. Both Russia and China have shown that they have very clear interests in the Western Balkans.

Kosovo’s European integration is a two-way process. In order for Kosovo to carry out the necessary reforms, assistance from the European Union is necessary. Visa liberalization has further strengthened people-to-people contacts and the European perspective of Kosovo’s citizens. However, the punitive measures introduced in 2023 have had a very negative impact on Kosovo’s progress towards Europe. Although the EU measures have gradually begun to be eased, their impact on society remains very worrying. Various civil society organizations, national minorities, as well as small and medium-sized enterprises, which have received significant operating support from EU programs, are particularly affected by the measures. The measures also have a potential negative impact on the credibility of the European Union among the Kosovo population. Although support for the European Union has remained very high, there is still a risk that it may decrease as a result of the measures.

With this report, the rapporteur wishes to provide an overview and the European Parliament’s assessment of the most important achievements and challenges that Kosovo faces today and in the near future. It is certainly not possible to cover all the problematic areas and challenges in this report. One of the important prerequisites for the preparation of this report was the opportunity to visit Kosovo during a fact-finding mission and meet with civil society organisations, national minority representatives, and business representatives among others.