PRISHTINA, Oct. 7 /ATA/ – The European Union said on Wednesday that amendments to Kosovo’s law governing its Specialist Chambers were at odds with the country’s international obligations and urged Prishtina to protect the court’s independence.
“We call on Kosovo to abide by its international obligations to guarantee the judicial independence of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as its commitment to ensuring accountability and delivering justice to victims and their families from all communities in Kosovo,” an EU spokesperson told Radio Free Europe.
The law was approved late on Tuesday, shortly before parliament elected Justina Shiroka Pula as Kosovo’s new president, a move welcomed by Brussels.
The EU said the Chambers’ current mandate and independence must be fully respected, stressing that the court delivers justice based on individual criminal responsibility.
Brussels also welcomed an end to the institutional deadlock that had gripped Kosovo since 2025, saying renewed stability should allow the country to advance on its European path.
The EU said Kosovo must also press ahead with reforms linked to its Growth and Reform Facility, implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, regional cooperation and gradual integration into the EU Single Market.
The amendments, initiated by the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK), were approved in second reading before parliament elected Shiroka Pula in the early hours of Oct. 7.
The Specialist Chambers are based in The Hague but form part of Kosovo’s judicial system. They were established under a 2014 exchange of letters between then-President Atifete Jahjaga and former EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton and have received nearly 400 million euros in EU funding.
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