The Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, will visit Kosovo on 25 May, where he will meet with Kosovo government officials, including President Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu and Prime Minister Albin Kurti as well as opposition leaders and civil society representatives. These meetings will be an opportunity to review EU-Kosovo relations and to discuss recent developments as well as key reforms, including in the area of the justice reform, energy transition and the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Commissioner Várhelyi and the Minister of Internal Affairs and Public Administration, Xhelal Sveçla, will launch the EU-Kosovo Home Affairs Programme, aiming to further align Kosovo’s actions on law enforcement and fighting organised crime with EU standards. This €6.5 million EU funded Programme will be implemented over a period of three years with the support of France, Italy and Belgium, and will contribute to strengthening capacities of Kosovo institutions in fighting organised crime and strengthening international cooperation.

Kosovo and the EU signed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) which has been in force since 1 April 2016. Visa liberalisation for Kosovo will come into effect on 1 January 2024. The Commission will report again on Kosovo’s progress on its European path in the 2023 enlargement package, which will be released in the autumn.