The decision comes following the peaceful transfer of local authority in the predominantly Serbian north. These tensions had prompted the EU to impose sanctions in the summer of 2023.

It was the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani, who first announced that the EU had decided to lift all measures by the end of January, during the EU-Western Balkans summit on Wednesday in Brussels.

“During intensive discussions with our partners, the decision was made to lift all measures on Kosovo, with a large portion being removed today, and the remainder by the end of January,” Osmani said late on Wednesday on Facebook.

Osmani, who represented Kosovo at the summit, further stated that “as a result, the funds will be unfrozen, with a significant portion being released immediately and the remainder by the end of January.”
Meanwhile, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, later wrote on X that the EU is lifting the measures as the transfer of local authority in the north, following the recent local elections, took place peacefully.

“Thanks to this, I am pleased to announce that we are moving forward with lifting the measures against Kosovo,” she wrote.

She added that the bloc is planning €216 million in financial aid for Kosovo and aims to allocate €205 million to it by early 2026.

The EU had already lifted half of the measures earlier this week, but it was unclear whether they would be fully removed within a month, as countries like France and Italy, supported by Spain, Hungary, and Slovakia, were said to lack the will to lift all sanctions.

Officials in Kosovo have consistently urged the EU to end the punitive measures, which have caused the country millions of euros in damages.

They argued that the situation in the north had already de-escalated following the reduction of police presence in municipal buildings, the participation of Serbs in this year’s elections, and the peaceful transfer of power to local Serbs.

These punitive measures have cost Kosovo approximately €613.4 million in suspended or indefinitely postponed projects. Due to missed deadlines, €7.1 million have been completely forfeited, according to an analysis by the Institute for Advanced Studies – GAP.

The most affected sectors include the environment, with €350 million, energy with €114 million, digitalization with around €57 million, and culture with €15 million.

Of these funds, approximately €218 million were allocated for projects under the Pre-Accession Assistance Instrument (IPA II and IPA III), while around €395 million were designated for projects under the European Union Investment Framework for the Western Balkans (WBIF).
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