Europe: Failure To Curb Organised Crime In Kosovo Muddies EU Image

Πηγή: eGov monitor
Jan 26 2012

The fact that the European Union’s largest police mission to Kosovo has failed to collar any leading suspects on organised crime even after four years has prompted people to question its efficacy as well as the dependability of Kosovo's leaders.

However, the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) is basking in its own achievements and claims the training it imparted to the Kosovo police and customs has been highly successful. Following its review by the EU in a few weeks time, EULEX intends trimming personnel to allow local officers get engaged in various other mundane daily activities.

Pristina-based EULEX spokesman Nicholas Hawton recounted how the mission has accomplished "clear results" in pursuing criminals amid the region’s war-torn and politically complicated environment. The representative informed that EULEX at present is probing into 350 incidences of criminal activities, with the mission’s judges already pronouncing as many as 220 verdicts. Of them, 15 judgments have been on organised crime and 20 others on war crimes, explained Hawton.

One such investigation involves the accusation that Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci is involved in operating an organ trafficking gang, said the spokesman. Regarding the murder in 2011 of Kosovar Albanian policeman Enver Zymberi by a Serb sniper, a probe initiated by EULEX has resulted in Interpol issuing six arrest warrants, Hawthon went on to say.

Meanwhile, the EU foreign affairs committee on Tuesday approved a draft European Parliament report and has called on EULEX to "increase its efforts" in north Kosovo’s Kosovar Serb enclave as well as to increase its efforts against organised crime. However, the mission reacted by putting the blame squarely on EU member nations for the hiccups. It said the countries hesitate to dispatch their best judges to the war torn region. The mission also bluntly told France, Italy and Romania to “reconsider” withdrawing the Formed Police Units, or riot control specialists, which are associated with EULEX.

"They should have been quicker. It would have helped the way they are seen in the country to already have indictments on high level corruption cases," was the sharp response of Austria’s Green MEP Ulrike Lunacek, the draft report’s author. But the most contemptuous reaction came from Italian Socialist Pino Arlacchi, who has been credited with playing a key role in creating Italy's Direzione Investigativa Antimafia (DIA).

He pointed out that the annual budget of EULEX is €150 million, which can be equated with what is allocated to the DIA. However, the latter has successfully picked up many mafia bosses in Italy, noted Arlacchi. He said this is in spite of the country being home to 60 million people and with one of the worst organised crime problems globally.

Kosovo border violence on UN Security Council agenda

Peacekeepers had to be deployed to secure the border area in July

Πηγή: BBC
30 August 2011

Recent deadly violence in Kosovo is set to be on the agenda as the UN Security Council meets in New York, but there are also new hopes for peace.
Fighting flared in July when Kosovo's authorities sent police into the north, the territory's biggest Serb area.

Serbia, which refuses to accept an independent Kosovo, wants the Security Council to condemn the action.

Elsewhere, Serbia's president said his country recognised the EU's law and justice mission (Eulex) in Kosovo.

Boris Tadic said the issue had arisen at talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel when she visited Belgrade last week.

"In our talks in Belgrade, Angela Merkel's view was that Serbia should secure functioning of the Eulex in all Kosovo and that Belgrade should return to talks with Pristina," he told reporters on Monday after meeting Czech President Vaclav Klaus in Prague.

"Both demands are totally acceptable for Serbia. We want dialogue as we have initiated it and we have insisted on it, and we did our best to bring Eulex to Kosovo and help it perform its mission in a way that would be neutral in relation with its [Kosovo's] status."

Officials in Serbia, a prospective member of the EU, have in the past stressed the role of the UN in administering Kosovo until the question of its status is resolved.Expectations high

The Security Council is meeting on Tuesday to hear a quarterly update on the situation in Kosovo from the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon.

But this session is the most eagerly awaited for some time as it comes during a period of heightened ethnic tension in the territory, BBC Balkans correspondent Mark Lowen reports from Belgrade.

When the Kosovan government sent police into the north to take control of border posts with Serbia that had not previously been under its authority, the Serb population in the north rebelled, leading to clashes in which a policeman died.

The Nato force in Kosovo intervened, mediating between the two sides.

Now Russia, a staunch ally of Serbia, has prepared a draft document to be presented to the Security Council condemning what it calls the use of force by the Kosovan government and calling for international institutions in Kosovo, such as Nato, to remain impartial.

Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who will attend the UN session, says he hopes the majority of countries will support the document.

Kosovo's Western backers, including the US, France and Britain, are likely to put up a stiff response but all sides will call for calm, says our correspondent.

Three and a half years since Kosovo declared independence, it is an issue that still polarises opinion, he adds.

Less than half of UN members have recognised the split and with ethnic tension remaining, it is far from being resolved, our correspondents says.