EU concerned: Consultations needed before adoption of amendments to Specialist Chambers Law

The European Union Office in Kosovo said today that it was concerned about the possibility of a vote in the Kosovo Assembly tomorrow on amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers, stressing the need for consultations before any amendments are adopted, in accordance with Kosovo’s international obligations.

“The European Union Mission in Kosovo notes with concern the possibility that the Law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers may be put to a vote in the Kosovo Assembly tomorrow,” the EU said in a post on the social media platform X.

It added that the proposed amendments raised serious concerns regarding Kosovo’s international obligations and respect for fundamental rule-of-law principles, particularly judicial independence, the protection of victims and witnesses, the continuity of procedural rights and effective accountability.

The amendments also raise concerns regarding their constitutionality, the EU noted.

“Since the law was returned to the Kosovo Assembly for reconsideration, we have been actively engaged in conveying our concerns and expectations to the Kosovo authorities. This includes the need for prior consultations before the adoption of any amendments, in accordance with Kosovo’s international obligations,” the European Union said.

MPs decided today to place the Draft Law amending and supplementing the Law on the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office on the agenda of the Assembly session, at the request of MP and acting PDK leader Vlora Citaku.

Meanwhile, the continuation of today’s session was postponed until tomorrow after MPs failed to return to the chamber following the break, even after a 30-minute delay.

Citaku, however, said today that new amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers would be submitted on Monday in order to make the legislation “more legally sound,” adding that the PDK was open to discussions with the European Union, international allies and civil society regarding the proposed amendments.

The amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers were adopted at the beginning of last month, but the European Union subsequently warned on several occasions that they were contrary to Kosovo’s international obligations toward the EU.

Kosovo President Justina Shiroka-Pula returned the legislative amendments to the Assembly for reconsideration at the initiative of the PDK, which had originally proposed the changes following the first-instance convictions of four former KLA leaders in The Hague. They were sentenced to a combined total of 81 years in prison for war crimes.

After the amendments were returned to the Assembly, the EU welcomed the move, while stressing that it expected to be consulted should parliamentary deliberations on the legislation continue.