Vllasi: Kosovo will still wait to obtain candidate status for EU membership

Analyst Azem Vllasi told Kosovo Online that it is good that Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union was submitted in 2022, but he says that in Kosovo’s case the problem is that it has not been recognized by five EU member states, and decisions on candidate status and accession are made with the consent of all EU members.

“In addition, Kosovo still needs to meet further conditions in terms of practical functioning according to EU standards. Therefore, it is good that the application for membership was submitted in 2022, but there will still be a wait for candidate status, and an even longer wait for full membership status. When all conditions are met, those five states will also give their consent,” Vllasi notes.

Generally speaking, according to him, Kosovo meets the conditions for EU membership because under its Constitution it is structured as a democratic state in line with the standards of EU member states.

“However, it first needs to obtain candidate status for EU membership, as four countries from our region have already done and are now in the process of accession negotiations. When that will happen is unknown, and Albania and Montenegro are closest to membership. Only Kosovo and Bosnia still do not have candidate status,” Vllasi points out.

He believes it is also important for Serbia to make progress toward the EU, since a condition for its membership will be that it formally recognizes Kosovo.

“The basic condition for EU membership is that a member state has no open issues with another state, especially not border disputes,” he emphasizes.