Agreement concluded between Serbs and Kosovars. The 15-point plan (updated)

(BRUSSELS2) This last round (the tenth) will therefore have been the right one, as expected (read: Last round of negotiations Belgrade – Pristina). The negotiations between Belgrade are indeed “ concluded “, as announced shortly before 17 p.m. today Friday (April 19), the head of European diplomacy, Catherine Ashton. " The text was signed by the two Prime Ministers. I would like to congratulate them for their determination during these months, and the courage they have shown. It is very important, a sign to move away from the past and for both of us to get closer to Europe Catherine Ashton told the outlet. Hashim Thaci (for Kosovo) and Ivica Dacic (for Serbia) had, in fact, each signed a memorandum of understanding settling the question of the autonomy of the 4 municipalities in the north of Kosovo - grouped together in a "Community / association" - such as their presence in the authorities of Kosovo and the organization of the police and justice.

The NATO Pledge

Catherine Ashton and "her two prime ministers" then went to NATO to exchange letters with the organization's deputy secretary general. Indeed, according to a Serbian request, the Kosovo security forces will only have access to the north under certain conditions and in close coordination with KFOR, which will thus have to give its consent to their deployment. In fact, it will be the NATO forces which will thus retain, in an intermediate manner, the role of maintaining security (in third place after the police and the EULEX forces) in the north of Kosovo.

The key points of the agreement

The agreement on the "principles governing the normalization of relations" includes around fifteen points. A text that corresponds to the draft agreement - published by the daily Koha Ditore - with a main amendment to point 14 on international organizations, as planned (read: Last round of negotiations Belgrade – Pristina).

1. There will be an Association/Community of Kosovo Serb Majority Municipalities. Membership will be open to any other municipality provided the members agree.

2. The Association / Community is created by law. Its dissolution takes place only by a decision of the participating municipalities. Legal safeguards will be provided by applicable law and constitutional law (including the 2/3 majority rule).

3. The structures of the Association/Community will be established on the same basis as the existing law of the Association of Municipalities of Kosovo eg for the President, the Vice-President, the Assembly, the Council.

4. In accordance with the competences conferred by the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the law of Kosovo, the participating municipalities shall have the right to cooperate in the exercise of their competences through the Association/Community collectively. The Association/Community will have general competence in the areas of economic development, education, health, urban and rural planning.

5. The Association/Community will exercise other additional powers which may be delegated by the central authorities.

6. The Association/Community shall have a role of representation to the central authorities and shall have a seat in the advisory council of the communities for this purpose. In pursuit of this role a monitoring function is envisaged.

7. There will be a Kosovo Police Service referred to as “Kosovo Police” (KP). All police in northern Kosovo will be integrated under the Kosovo Police. Wages will only be (paid) by the KP.

8. Members of other Serbian security structures will be offered a place in equivalent Kosovo structures.

9. There will be a regional police commander for the four Serb-majority municipalities in the north (North Mitrovica, Zvecan, Zubin Potok and Leposavic). The commander of this region will be a Kosovo Serb appointed by the Minister of Interior from a list provided by the four mayors on behalf of the Association/Community. The composition of the Kosovo Police in the north will reflect the ethnic composition of the population of the four municipalities. (There will be another regional commander for the municipalities of South Mitrovica, Skenderaj and Vushtrri). The regional commander of the four northern municipalities will cooperate with other regional commanders.

10. Judicial authorities will be integrated and operate within the legal framework of Kosovo. The Pristina Court of Appeal will set up a panel composed of a majority of Kosovars Serbs, which will deal with all municipalities with a Serb majority.

11. A division of the Court of Appeal, composed of both administrative staff and judges, will sit permanently in North Mitrovica (Mitrovica District Court). Each panel in the division will be made up of a majority of Kosovar Serb judges. Appropriate judges will sit depending on the nature of the case at hand.

12. Municipal elections are organized in the northern municipalities in 2013 with the assistance of the OSCE in accordance with Kosovo laws and international standards.

13. Discussions on energy and telecoms will be intensified by both sides and completed by June 15.

14. It is agreed that neither party will block the other or encourage others (parties/states) to block the progress of the other parties on their way to the European Union (NB: This point was the most controversial and required rewriting. Originally, it planned according to the Albanian daily Koha Ditore: "Neither side will block the other, nor encourage others to block applications to international organizations and institutions")

15. An implementation committee will be set up by the two parties with support from the European Union.

An implementation plan, which will contain the exact terms of the agreement, will be drawn up by April 26. In the implementation of this agreement, the principle of transparency of funds will be included.

Download Agreement (french version)