Koha Ditore in Brussels had access to the 15-point plan of the agreement that EU High Representative Catherine Ashton is said to have proposed to the parties at the last meeting. The Kosovar side is said to have accepted the plan, whereas Serbia rejected it, because of point 14 which notes that parties will not obstruct each other’s membership in international organizations. Below are the 15 points of the agreement:
1. “Community/Association” of municipalities with Serb majority in Kosovo, open also to other communities, if members agree.
2. “Community/Association” will be established with a status.
3. Structures will be established according to the same basis as existing regions in Kosovo.
4. Competencies will be in line with the European Charter for Local Self-Government and according to Kosovo’s laws.
5. “Community/Association” will exercise additional competencies as delegated by the central authority.
6. “Community/Association” will have a representative role in central authority and will have a seat in the Consultative Council for Communities.
7. In Kosovo there will be a single police force, called “Kosovo Police”.
8. “The whole police in northern Kosovo will be integrated in the framework of Kosovo Police” and salaries for police officers will be provided only by Kosovo Police. Members of other Serb security structures will be offered respective positions in Kosovo’s structures.
9. Most disagreements so far were on point nine. The proposal provides that there will be a post of a regional commander for Serb municipalities in northern Kosovo, the post will go to a Kosovo Serb elected by Kosovo’s Ministry of Interior Affairs from a list submitted by the mayors of four municipalities on behalf of the “Community/Association”. The structure of Kosovo Police in the north will reflect the ethnic structure.
10: According to the proposed agreement “judicial authorities will be integrated and work within the Kosovo legal system. Appeals court from Pristina will establish a panel consisting of Kosovo Serb judges that will deal with all municipalities with Serb majority. A unit of this Appeals Court will be based in the northern part of Mitrovica.
11: Local elections in 2013 will be organized under the facilitation of the OSCE and in accordance to Kosovo laws.
12: This point speaks about the drafting of an implementation plan that would contain clear timeframes and this is to be prepared by 26 April. In the implementation of this agreement, attention will also be paid on the transparency of funds.
13: According to point 13, the parties will have to reach an agreement on energy and telecom before mid June of this year.
14: This point is the most disputable at the time being and is the cause Serbia refused the last proposal and speaks about membership in international organizations. According to the current wording, it says that the parties agree not to block one another or encourage others to block requests for membership in international organizations and forums.
International sources say there will be efforts and pressure to reword this point so as to refer to the parties not blocking European integrations process.
15: The last item of the proposed agreement foresees the creation of an implementation commission from both sides under the facilitation of European Union.
