Grubjesic: I don't expect the EU to consider sanctions against Serbia before the completion of an impartial investigation into Banjska

Suzana Grubjesic, Vice President of the Center for Foreign Policy, says for Kosovo Online that she does not expect the European Union to consider any measures against Serbia before the completion of the investigation into the tragic events in Banjska.

Grubjesic reminds us that even before the events in Banjska, where three Serbs and one Albanian police officer died, there were threats of sanctions against both Pristina and Belgrade.

"I will remind you that French President Emmanuel Macron threatened sanctions if the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement does not begin, and now there are voices and demands to punish Serbia even more. The range of possible sanctions is broad: from reintroducing visas, and withholding financial support, to some form of isolation. At the EU level, all restrictive measures against a country are taken by consensus, and that is unlikely, but there are measures that individual members can introduce bilaterally. Until the Banjska investigation is completed, there should be no discussion on this topic within the EU, let alone any decisions," Grubjesic says.

However, she points out that this does not prevent the European Parliament, at the request of the Socialists, from discussing it and adopting a legally non-binding resolution that will still have a political impact on the "executive authority" – the European Commission and the EU Council.

"In any case, a very difficult period is ahead of us, the bar has been raised, and the only way to get out of this is an impartial investigation into the events in Banjska, complete de-escalation in northern Kosovo, and a much larger role for KFOR in ensuring peace and stability than before," Grubjesic concludes.