EU summit in the shadows of the UN SC debate and Serbian elections
EU heads of state and government are discussing Kosovo at the summit held in Brussels, but their discussions are held in the shadows of the UN Security Council on December 19 and the January presidential elections in Serbia.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Friday, December 14, 2007
As a result, the themes of discussion will be the attempt to coordinate further steps in order to avoid destabilization of Serbia ahead of presidential elections, as well as to find ways to soften the opposition of remaining opponents of the Ahtisaari plan - Cyprus, Romania, Greece, Slovakia and Spain.
The heads of state are discussing Kosovo during a working lunch.
They are arguing in the conclusions from their meeting that Kosovo talks are "exhausted" and that the EU stands ready to take the leading role in bringing the status process to an end.
The resolution of the status depends on the discussion at the UN Security Council, while concrete moves are expected after the Serbian presidential elections called for January 20.
Several EU ministers have called for a "coordinated declaration of independence" of Kosovo after the Serbian elections.
In parallel, the EU would offer Serbia to sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and a fast-track to a candidate status.
Such a scenario has been harshly criticized in Belgrade, but the president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pottering reiterated at the summit that "a timetable for Kosovo's independence" had to be coordinated with the holding of Serbian elections.
The first EU move in its "leadership in the resolution of the status" would be the sending of a EU mission in the fields of police and rule of law.
However, although this mission is technically ready, it lacks a political decision within the EU and a legal basis, given that there is no agreement in the UN Security Council on the issue.
