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Kosovo’s chief negotiator with the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, has warned that the rapid functioning of the Republic’s institutions is crucial for the benefit of funds from the Growth Plan, confirming that the country has already lost over 40 million euros due to delays in the implementation of reforms.<\/p>\n
In the “Interview of the Week” show on KosovaPress, he said that Kosovo will submit on July 15 the first report on the implementation of The Reform Agenda (which contains 111 steps) on the basis of which it is expected to request the release of more than 100 million euros due from the Growth Plan.<\/p>\n
After submitting the report, the European Commission will have three months to verify whether the reforms have been implemented according to the agreed criteria, and then it will decide on the disbursement of funds.<\/p>\n
Zulfaj emphasized that the financial means are not automatically transferred, but directly linked. with the fulfillment of each obligation received by Kosovo within the Growth Plan.<\/p>\n
“We, with the Growth Plan, would have to send a report to the European Union every six months, on the progress in the reform agenda. The reform agenda has 111 steps, which have been decided by our institutions as reforms… As of June 30, it turns out that we have fulfilled 18 steps. From these 18 steps, we will see what will be the assessment of the Commission. On July 15th we will send the report together with the evidence of the completion of the steps. The European Union has three months available to make the assessment of our report, together with the evidence that we have attached, to assess if this is the case as we have reported, and at the moment that each step has been achieved, then each step has an amount of funds that should be over 100 million euros, for the release of funds that we will request at this stage. Of course, it would be much more if the agreement entered into force earlier, even if we had a functioning Parliament.<\/p>\n
Zulfaj estimated that the delays caused by the political crisis of the last few months have directly affected the pace of reforms. Of the 13 steps that had to be completed by June 30, seven have been completed, while six have remained suspended, mainly because they require the approval of laws by the Assembly.<\/p>\n
According to the chief negotiator, this situation has cost Kosovo about 40 million euros in funds that are considered lost because they were not “deserved” at the right time.<\/p>\n
He said that the remaining reforms have not been abandoned and that they will be able to be approved by the legislature. new, but delays have financial consequences that affect the implementation of the Growth Plan.<\/p>\n
“Yes, we have 13 steps until June 30. Of them, 7 have been fulfilled and 6 that have not been completed. Among them, five of the steps require laws. As you know, perhaps the main part of this reform, and then I will make a distinction because the reforms will be carried out. You know that there are 6 laws of the reform in justice, which were a kind of justice… So all these will be done, because they are for the benefit of the citizens and of the Republic. And of course, they are not completed by the deadline of June 30, but they can be done with a delay of one month. And who should receive the bill for these 2 months, I think that we should see a lot last year. Not only are 40 million euros lost. But I had added here that the elections of December 10th and June 7th are costing us”. According to him, they can be redistributed to other countries in the region, returned in the form of technical assistance to Kosovo or remain in the EU budget.<\/p>\n
“According to the agreement, these funds are considered lost, but the final assessment belongs to the European Union. They can decide whether these funds are redistributed by other countries. If these funds can be returned to technical assistance, then they can be returned to Kosovo as technical assistance. But the decision must be made by them, or they can return them to the European Union’s budget. Because these are reforms, let’s say, they become yours when the reforms are finished. They are in the European Union and you have to take them. So the commitment of six billion that can remain in the region is to encourage them which take steps forward”<\/p>\n
Speaking of the political responsibility for the loss of these funds, Zulfaj said that the institutional blockade of 2025 has influenced the failure to achieve the objectives for 2026, as he insisted that political issues should not hinder the processes related to the benefit of European funds.<\/p>\n
He emphasized that the Assembly should ensure the approval of reforms even if there is a lack of consensus on other political topics, since the projects financed by the Plan of Growth are directly related to the interest of the citizens.<\/p>\n
“When I say the Assembly is all the subjects that are in the Assembly. But the responsibility must be divided according to the actions it takes. As a majority, we have made many and different proposals on how to give the country a government, an Assembly and a president, but also not to lose from the reforms that are in the growth plan. If the Assembly, if there is no consensus to move forward with the president, as was the case this year, this should not be charged to the Growth Plan. So, let’s do what we can, as members of parliament and as parliamentary groups, to get them to vote, even if it’s an accelerated procedure so that we don’t lose the funds from the Growth Plan. Because, the blockade that happened last year has caused the delay in achieving the objectives this year. But it is very clear to us that last year’s blockade was not reasonable at all”<\/p>\n
He also warned that if there is no agreement and political reconciliation by the end of the year, Kosovo may face another challenge, which means the potential risk of losing another 100 million. This is due to the fact that dozens of other steps of the Reform Agenda must be implemented by December 31, for which the Assembly decides.<\/p>\n
According to Zulfaj, these funds are intended for investments in infrastructure, education, justice, digitization and other development areas, therefore he called on all forces to show responsibility and not allow political clashes to block the reforms and funds of the European Union.<\/p>\n
“With these The 18 steps that we implemented were a total of 79 steps until December. But when we remove these 18 steps, it turns out that in December there are still 61 steps that must be implemented until December 31, but in this part, if I’m not mistaken, only 27 steps have the additional deadline, the so-called grace period, until December 31 the end of December, if the deadline is not implemented, it could be over 100 million euros. So, as a state and as a society, we must take into account that these funds are for roads, for kindergartens, for the prosecution, for schools, for digitalization the Assembly, it causes it, it makes it impossible for the Assembly to function, it makes it impossible for us to approve the laws”, Zulfaj has called on the opposition parties that, even “if they decide not to make the quorum for the election of the president and then take the country to the elections”, at least not prevent the approval of the necessary reforms in the Assembly, even with an accelerated procedure, on which many benefits that can come from the Plan depend The growth of the European Union.<\/p>\n
“There is always a risk if the Assembly does not work. What we are doing is to navigate, that is, in a situation where the Assembly works with less time than it should, the Assembly is supposed to be elected for four years, the elections are once every four years, according to the Constitution, and not twice a year. The Assembly should work like this. And we have the ruling majority to guarantee this. And to push the reforms forward. And I really hope that will happen now, after the certification of the results and the formation of the institutions. So that there will be no tendency from the opposition to block the government in order to block the Government…41: I hope that the laws which are ready, which, for the last term, are supposed to go in August, or in September, in a regular term, but if those steps have the maturity for it went to the Assembly in August, or in September, or in October, and now we have to send them at the beginning of July to take it, or at the beginning of August, the Assembly must show understanding for the fast procedures… If the opposition MPs decide that they do not want to make the quorum for the president and want to take the seat to the election, then they must show understanding from the moment they interrupt the functioning of the Assembly, you must show responsibility to reforms that are in the growth plan”, he concluded.<\/p>\n
The Growth Plan is a new framework of the EU which promotes the acceleration of reforms for European integration of the entire Western Balkans region, which combines reforms with direct financial contribution from European Union funds to the budgets of the beneficiary countries and investment projects.<\/p>\n
With the implementation of these reforms that are being requested, but which the state needs anyway, Kosovo will benefit up to 882.6 million euros of EU funds. Of this total amount, 253.3 million euros are grants, while the rest of 629.3 million euros are long-term loans.<\/p>\n
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