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The EU as a Peacebuilder in Kosovo
20 pages, pdf
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The EU as a Peacebuilder in Kosovo
Publisher: Jitske Hoogenboom
Volume: 20 pages, pdf
Description:
The proposal for supervised independence for Kosovo presented by United Nations Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari at the Kosovo status process negotiations foresaw a large role for the European Union (EU). The assumption was that the prospect of enlargement would act as an incentive to the fledgling state of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia to normalise relations, while putting the EU in a position to exert pressure to achieve this. However, Serbia and the United Nations Security Council did not (unanimously) approve the „Ahtisaari Plan‟. In the end, Kosovo declared independence unilaterally under the auspices of the plan and its international supporters. This led to division among EU Member States, with 22 Member States recognising and 5 not recognising the new Republic of Kosovo.
Kosovo presents a major challenge to the EU and its enlargement and foreign policy. However, the biggest challenges are those within Kosovo itself. Kosovo‟s transition is not progressing, despite large investments by the international community and the EU.
This policy analysis looks into the role of the EU in peacebuilding in Kosovo. To assess the EU‟s role, one has to start with the context. Only after identifying the main obstacles to sustainable peace, can we assess whether EU instruments are capable of addressing these issues effectively. The next section identifies the four main obstacles to sustainable peace in Kosovo. These obstacles are strongly connected and mutually reinforcing. This is followed by a discussion of EU instruments in Kosovo and how these instruments contribute to solving Kosovo‟s problems. Finally, some conclusions are drawn on the suitability and effectiveness of the different EU instruments and roles, and some recommendations made as to how the EU can strengthen its peacebuilding capacity in Kosovo.
This paper is based largely on informal meetings with different civil society and international actors in Kosovo, backed by available literature on peacebuilding in Kosovo.