Minister Hoxha: Greater commitment is needed to implement the reforms towards the EU, delays are intolerable

Prishtina, 3 June 2019 – At the meeting of the Ministerial Council for European Integration, under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, the Minister of European Integration, as the coordinator of this Council, stressed the importance of immediate action for all relevant stakeholders to fulfil their obligations towards Kosovo’s EU integration.

During this meeting were discussed the findings from the Country Report by the European Commission (EC), the Report on the Implementation of the European Reform Agenda (November 2016 – January 2019), the National Programme for Implementation of the SAA, Draft Action Plan on ERA 2019-2020, as well as the implementation of key recommendations from the Country Report for 2018.

Prime Minister Haradinaj pointed out that the EC Country Report has provided assessments regarding the achievements in the country, as well as the challenges that obligate us to improve.
“It should be noted that some aspects of our work, progress and achievements are not fully incorporated, but we will work to address them properly. Kosovo’s Government remains committed to successfully execute the decision on visa liberalization and to push ahead with the ambition of applying for candidate status for Kosovo”, emphasized Prime Minister Haradinaj.

Referring to the Country Report, Minister Hoxha urged the responsible institutions to report on the shortcomings identified in the respective fields such as the rule of law, economic empowerment, the fight against corruption and organized crime, good governance, macro-fiscal stability, electoral reforms, the efficiency of the Assembly and the Government.

Minister Hoxha stressed the need to avoid re-appearance of the same challenges over the years. “It is unacceptable that a considerable number of challenges are repeated over the years in the Country Report”, said the Minister adding “Let this be the last signal for us to demonstrate our real commitment to our strategic goals, where EU integration remains a priority”. She summoned relevant stakeholders to come up with a concrete plan on how to overcome these challenges within the certain timeframes.
Minister Hoxha added that it is our responsibility to fulfil the obligations arising from the tasks we have assumed, as well as an obligation towards the citizens of Kosovo. Further, in the meeting it was also discussed the implementation of the SAA, in particular, the priorities identified under implementation, where Minister Hoxha invited the responsible stakeholders to provide explanations and deadlines for their fulfilment.

Within the framework of drafting the European Reform Agenda (2019-2020) or ERA II, and the Action Plan for the implementation of these priorities, it was discussed on the identification of the necessary measures and the stakeholders responsible for implementation. The Minister expressed her gratitude for the contribution of civil society during the consultation on this process.
This Council was comprised of ministers, deputy ministers, agency leaders, deputies, and members of the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration, bearers of institutional responsibilities for the integration process.

Finally, Minister Hoxha stressed that “;We need a greater commitment by our institutions to address more effectively the challenges ahead. It is extremely important that our strategic goal for EU integration be reflected in the work of each of us. The European Reform Agenda is the best guide showing where we are and where we are going. Thus, I urge you for the next days, weeks and months to commit more and to prove that EU integration remains a priority. We should all play our roles to not allow such assessment to be repeated, but, instead, let our achievements dominate and our progress remains irreversible”.
As co-chair of the Ministerial Council for European Integration, Minister Hoxha stated that similar meetings will be held more often in order to ensure proper monitoring of the implementation of reforms and the smooth running of the process.

Last modified: August 5, 2022