Quint, EU, and OSCE: We regret the Kosovo Government's decision to finalize expropriation in the north

The embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, together with the EU Office in Kosovo and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission in Kosovo, express regret over the Kosovo Government's decision made on May 30 to finalize the expropriation of over 100 land parcels in municipalities with a Serb majority in northern Kosovo.

In a statement, they noted that several of their missions had previously shared assessments from international legal experts with the Government, including the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, indicating that the Government had violated its own laws and regulations due to procedural and technical deficiencies during the expropriation process.

“We note that the Kosovo judicial system has identified similar legal concerns regarding the preliminary expropriation decision, which the Government has not yet addressed,” the statement said.

While some of the properties of the plaintiffs were removed from the final expropriation decision, they express their regret that the Kosovo Government did not wait for all pending court proceedings to be fully resolved before making this decision.

“It is essential for the Government to make efforts to ensure that expropriation activities comply with the law, that the legal process is respected, and that the rights of property owners and stakeholders are fully respected,” they stated.

Additionally, they expressed their concern to the Government that the draft expropriation law is not in line with the obligations Kosovo has undertaken under the Ahtisaari Plan, and they encourage the Government to amend the law accordingly before adopting it.

“We encourage the Kosovo Government to adhere to the rule of law and good governance, as the foundation of vibrant, democratic societies. We also call on the Government to reaffirm its commitment to the principles of Ahtisaari, including the protection and promotion of the rights of non-majority communities,” they emphasized in the statement.