This expert roundtable is organised in corporation with the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) and the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo. If you are interested in participating, please send a mail to events@clingendael.org. The roundtable is on invitation only.

The Integration of the Republic of Kosovo into the EU: perspectives and challenges

The last European Commission Progress report on Kosovo, published in May 2019, underlined Kosovo’s perspective for joining the EU. It reported that the Republic of Kosovo has made progress in the implementation of certain key EU-related reforms, in particular as regards to the improvement of the legal framework in the areas of rule of law and public administration. However, the Commission also noted that Kosovo's needs to step up judicial system reforms and the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as improve freedom of speech in the country. Also given Kosovo´s difficult relationship with Serbia and the country´s recognition issue, opening EU membership  negotiations seems to remain a long shot for now.

Speakers

In this expert roundtable, Mr. Kushtrim Cukaj, General Secretary of Ministry of European Integration will present the challenges, obligations and opportunities facing Republic of Kosovo on its path to EU membership. Subsequently, Dr. Florian Qehaja, KCSS Chair of Board, will specifically zoom in on challenges related to Rule of Law reform. Dr. Kushtrim Istrefi, Assistant Professor with the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) at Utrecht University, will discuss the problematic relationship between Kosovo and Serbia and its effect on Kosovo´s rapprochement to the EU.

The roundtable will be moderated by Jan Marinus Wiersma, Senior Visiting Fellow at the Clingendael Institute.

Programme

15:00 – 15:30 Registration and coffee

15:30 – 17:00 Expert Roundtable

17:00 – 18:00 Informal reception

Listen to Jan Marinus' podcast 'Obstacles to EU enlargement: the Dutch perspective'

Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the OSIFE of the Open Society Foundations.

Read report.