EU: Amendments to the Law on the Special Court conflict with Kosovo’s international obligations

The European Union has said it is deeply concerned by the amendments and supplements to the Law on the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, which, according to Brussels officials, conflict with Kosovo’s international obligations towards the EU.

The law was voted on Tuesday night, shortly before the Assembly elected Justina Shiroka-Pula as head of the state of Kosovo, which was welcomed by Brussels.

“We call on Kosovo to adhere to its international obligations to guarantee the judicial independence of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as the commitment to ensure accountability and to deliver justice to the victims and their families from all communities in Kosovo,” EU spokesman Christian Wiegand told Radio Free Europe.

He recalled that Brussels has consistently supported the work of the Specialist Chambers as an independent judicial institution, and insisted that their current mandate and independence be fully respected.

“The Kosovo Specialist Chambers are delivering justice based on the principle of individual criminal responsibility,” Wiegand emphasised.

Referring to this statement, the deputy of the Democratic Party of Kosovo – the party that initiated the law amendment – Përparim Gruda, insisted that Kosovo is not violating its international obligations.

“Kosovo remains faithful to the obligations it has undertaken to investigate the organ-trafficking claims. The Special Court will not be closed and no international obligation will be violated,” Gruda said during a media conference.

He repeated the statement of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Pristina last week, when she had said that it is up to Kosovo to decide on the legislative amendments, but that the independence of the Special Court must be guaranteed.

On the other hand, the EU welcomed the exit from the institutional blockade that had gripped Kosovo since 2025, with the election of the head of state. Brussels said it expects the return of institutional stability, which, according to it, will enable Kosovo to advance on its European path and to fully benefit from the opportunities offered by the EU.

The EU spokesman also recalled that important work awaits Kosovo. This includes the reforms linked to the Growth and Reform Plan, the further implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, as well as progress in regional cooperation and in gradual integration into the EU Single Market.

“Although the EU is ready to support Kosovo even further, our partnership implies not only common interests, but also common responsibilities,” Wiegand underlined.

The Assembly of Kosovo elected Shiroka-Pula as the new president in the first minutes of October 7. The election came after a last-minute political agreement, which also secured the deputies’ votes for the legal amendments that limit the competences of what is known as the Special Court.

Before the vote for the president, the Assembly approved in second reading the amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers, thus concluding the parliamentary procedure for the draft law initiated by the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).

The extraordinary session was called in the late hours of October 6, after the PDK accepted the proposal of the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV) that Shiroka-Pula be the candidate for president. This happened after a whole day of deadlock between the parties. Meanwhile, protests against the amendments to the law continued on October 6 as well, a day after clashes had occurred between protesters and the Kosovo Police.

The legal basis for the establishment of the Specialist Chambers is the 2014 exchange of letters between the then president of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, and the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton.

The Chambers are based in The Hague, but are part of Kosovo’s judicial system. The European Union is their main financial supporter, with almost 400 million euros since their establishment. /REL/