The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe's Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy approved the report on Kosovo on Wednesday, paving the way for future steps towards membership in the Council.
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| Palace of Europe headquarters, Strasbourg, France, March, 2024 |
With 31 votes in favor, four against, and one abstention, the committee recommended inviting Kosovo to become a member of the Council of Europe.
Following today's decision by the Committee, the Parliamentary Assembly is expected to vote during the month of April, with the final decision on Kosovo's membership anticipated in May, at the Council of Ministers of this mechanism.
In a statement released by the Committee, it is welcomed that a broad list of commitments has been made in writing by the authorities of Kosovo. It highlights that "membership would lead towards strengthening human rights standards by providing access to the European Court of Human Rights for all under the jurisdiction of Kosovo."
According to the Committee, membership in the Council of Europe would enable Kosovo to continue making progress in strengthening human rights, democracy, and the rule of law, and addressing unresolved challenges and concerns.
The Committee hailed as "a significant advancement" the implementation of the Constitutional Court's decision regarding the Dečani Monastery, emphasizing that the establishment of the Association of Serb-majority Municipalities should be a "post-membership commitment" for Kosovo, aiming to ensure the protection of the rights of Serbs in Kosovo, and that property issues should be handled "with the utmost respect for the law" and in full accordance with the plan of (Martti) Ahtisaari.
The Committee raises concerns about the risk of possible violence in Kosovo while stressing that security will depend on "protecting the rights of the Serbian community, de-escalating the situation, and normalizing relations between Kosovo and Serbia."
"Recognizing the 'unprecedented circumstances' of the application, considering that a number of member states of the Council of Europe do not recognize Kosovo as a state, the committee called for 'diplomacy, dialogue, and compromise' and urged the Committee of Ministers to ensure that Kosovo's membership is 'without prejudice to the positions of individual member states regarding Kosovo's statehood'," the Committee's statement says, emphasizing that the committee will monitor Kosovo to ensure compliance with commitments and obligations since its accession.
Kosovo applied for membership in the Council of Europe in April 2022.
The process was blocked due to non-compliance with the Constitutional Court's decision on the properties of the Dečani Monastery. Two weeks ago, the Kosovo government acknowledged the property of about 24 hectares of the monastery, paving the way for membership in the Council of Europe.
Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said the authorities "will continue to work with allies to ensure that all our citizens have access to the Council of Europe's instruments through Kosovo's full membership."
Deputy Foreign Minister Kreshnik Ahmeti wrote on social media that "all proposals to impose new conditions were rejected by the majority of committee members, indicating that Kosovo should become a member in May of this year and that new conditions would be unjust."
Serbia opposes Kosovo's membership in this council, and its president, Aleksandar Vučić, has also warned of the possibility of its withdrawal if Kosovo becomes a member, although in the agreement reached a year ago in Brussels and Ohrid, both parties pledge not to hinder each other in the integration processes.
The Council of Europe, established in 1949, is an international organization for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe.