Serbian FM: Kosovo Undermining EU Authority by Failing to Form Serb Municipalities

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic has accused the Kosovo government of having no intention to form the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) in Kosovo, 11 years after the signing of the Brussels Agreement in 2013. Dacic claims this failure to implement a key part of the agreement weakens the authority of the European Union as a mediator in the dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo.

The Brussels Agreement was meant to normalize relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and included provisions for the establishment of the CSM, an association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo with powers in areas like economic development, education, health, and urban planning. While Serbia fulfilled its obligations relatively quickly, such as integrating the police and judiciary in northern Kosovo, the Kosovo government has still not formed the CSM to this day.

Why this matters: The stalled implementation of the Brussels Agreement and failure to form the CSM has led to a deterioration in relations between Serbia and Kosovo. It also calls into question the effectiveness of the EU as a mediator, as it has been unable to compel Kosovo to fulfill this critical obligation over the past 11 years despite repeated calls to do so.

The EU has warned Kosovo that it will face serious consequences if it does not move forward with establishing the CSM. "The implementation of the agreements is related to the progress of Kosovo and Serbia on their path towards EU integration," said EU spokesperson Peter Stano. "Failure to implement the obligations will have serious consequences for the citizens of Kosovo and Serbia."

However, Kosovo's Constitutional Court found in 2015 that parts of the agreement on the CSM were not fully in line with Kosovo's constitution. The EU presented a draft statute for the association last year which the parties initially accepted in principle, but no concrete steps have been taken since then.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has accused Pristina and the EU of "terror and lies" for not establishing the CSM after 11 years. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti maintains that the 2013 agreement has been violated by Serbia and the issue of the CSM cannot be discussed without addressing all the agreements reached in the EU-facilitated dialogue.

The dispute over the CSM has become a key stumbling block in the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia. Security expert Dan Ilazi says the two sides are further from normalizing ties today than they were in 2013, attributing it to factors like the actions of the current Kosovo government and Vucic's interest in maintaining the status quo in northern Kosovo. The perception that the dialogue has been asymmetrical and unfair to Kosovo has also significantly undermined the credibility of the EU and the process itself, according to Ilazi. The situation between Belgrade and Pristina would have been more relaxed if the CSM had been formed, says political scientist Dusan Surlic.

Key Takeaways

• Serbian FM accuses Kosovo of not forming Serb municipalities per 2013 Brussels deal.
• Failure to implement CSM weakens EU's authority as mediator between Serbia and Kosovo.
• Kosovo's Constitutional Court found CSM provisions unconstitutional, stalling implementation.
• Dispute over CSM is a key obstacle to normalizing Serbia-Kosovo relations.
• EU warns Kosovo of serious consequences if it fails to establish the CSM.