Regardless of the fact that the agreement between Pristina authorities and the European Union on the extension of EULEX mission was not reached, the mandate of the mission, which will expire on 14 June, will be extended. “The practice from the previous years was that mandate of the mission is extended by the President’s letter. I think that will happen also this year. Kosovo president will send the letter, according to which will be accepted the extension of the mission’s mandate for two more years,” said political analyst Dušan Janjić.
The source close to that mission also claims that mission will stay in Kosovo till 2018. “EULEX mandate will be extended for two more years, though there are some people who would like that the EULEX mission leaves. In Kosovo media are published “ordered stories”, in which the end of mission mandate is announced. However, the only truth is that we stay,” claims unnamed source.
In regards to this statement Janjić said that EULEX mandate will be only “shrank”. “There will be some changes in the number of people deployed in EULEX and in competencies of the mission. For example Special court and investigations related to it are not EULEX competence any more, but that Court will need the help of EULEX for at least one year, until they will become fully operational,” he said. Janjić even added that mandate might be strengthened in some areas like it is fight against organized crime. “So far, EULEX roles were related to the training, advising and monitoring. However, there is a need for a more serious approach when it comes to the assistance to the legal system, until the establishment of the Kosovo Court for Organized Crime. Kosovo doesn’t have Specialized Court for the Organized Crime and Terrorism, what is contrary to all legal systems in Europe,” said Janjić.
