Deadlock in the Kosovo Assembly is delaying the implementation of reforms, risking the loss of around 60 million euros from the EU Growth Plan. This was stated at the first meeting of the EU–Kosovo Monitoring Committee for the Reform and Growth Instrument, where the implementation of the Reform Agenda and progress so far under the European Union Growth Plan for the Western Balkans were discussed.

Kosovo’s National Coordinator for the Reform and Growth Instrument, Jeton Zulfaj, said that Kosovo was among the first countries in the region to successfully conclude negotiations with the European Union on the Growth Plan reforms in the summer of 2024.

According to him, the Government of Kosovo approved the Reform Agenda without delays on 9 October 2024, but the process later slowed down due to delays in the ratification of the agreement.

He also spoke about the concrete risk coming from the parliamentary blockade.

“Delays from last year in the Assembly, as I said at the beginning, have postponed the ratification of agreements as well as the implementation of reforms. Unfortunately, the blockade in the Assembly continues this year, further delaying the necessary reforms, which are mainly laws that need to be passed in the Assembly. As a result of this blockade, by the end of this month in June, nine milestones worth around 60 million euros from the Growth Plan may be at risk,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jiri Plecity, Head of Unit in the Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood of the European Commission, said that judicial reform and the fight against corruption remain key priorities.

“First, rapid progress in justice reform is essential, as well as strengthening fundamental rights and improving the fight against corruption and organized crime. Similarly, the adoption of a new law on energy and electricity, along with a law on the energy regulator, remains a critical priority, with transitional periods expiring in June and December 2026. These are also key for strengthening Kosovo’s energy security. Good opportunities can be seized under Pillars 1 and 2 of the Growth Plan, such as the Single Euro Payments Area, or recent developments in extending the ‘Roam like at Home’ system in Kosovo. And let us not forget all the opportunities in the context of the regional market,” he said.