Changes from plenary report to adopted text

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and Kosovo, of the other part, in force since 1 April 2016,

– having regard to Kosovo’s application for membership of the European Union of 15 December 2022,

– having regard to Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe of 12 May 2022,

– having regard to the framework agreement between the European Union and Kosovo on the general principles for the participation of Kosovo in Union programmes, in force since 1 August 2017,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2023/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 April 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 listing the third countries whose nationals must be in possession of visas when crossing the external borders and those whose nationals are exempt from that requirement, as regards Kosovo, allowing visa-free travel for holders of Kosovo biometric passports as of 1 January 2024,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1449 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans,

– having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council meeting of 19 and 20 June 2003,

– having regard to the EU-Western Balkans summits, held in Sofia, Zagreb and Brdo pri Kranju in 2018, 2020 and 2021 respectively, and their declarations,

– having regard to the Western Balkans Leaders’ meeting of 1 July 2025 in Skopje, North Macedonia, on the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans,

– having regard to the declaration of the EU-Western Balkans Summit of 17 December 2025,

– having regard to the Presidency conclusions of 16 December 2025 on enlargement,

– having regard to the Berlin Process, launched on 28 August 2014,

– having regard to the Chair’s conclusions of the 2025 Summit on the Berlin Process, held on 22 October 2025,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘New growth plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2023)0691),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2024 on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews (COM(2024)0146),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 4 November 2025 entitled ‘2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2025)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Kosovo 2025 Report’ (SWD(2025)0752),

– having regard to the Treaty establishing the Energy Community, signed in Athens on 25 October 2005, which aims to extend the EU’s internal energy market rules to south-eastern Europe,

– having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 10 June 1999, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion of 22 July 2010 on the accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, and to UN General Assembly Resolution 64/298 of 9 September 2010, which acknowledged the content of the ICJ opinion and welcomed the EU’s readiness to facilitate dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo,

– having regard to Kosovo’s continued alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy,

– having regard to the first agreement on principles governing the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo of 19 April 2013, to the agreements of 25 August 2015, and to the ongoing EU-facilitated dialogue for the normalisation of relations,

– having regard to the Brussels Agreement of 27 February 2023 and the Ohrid Agreement of 18 March 2023 and to the implementation annex thereto,

– having regard to the continued presence and mandate of the NATO-led Kosovo Force, which continues to help maintain a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement in Kosovo,

– having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/1161 of 5 June 2025 amending Joint Action 2008/124/CFSP on the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, EULEX Kosovo, which extended the mission’s mandate until 14 June 2027,

– having regard to the final report of the European Union Election Observation Mission on the 2025 parliamentary elections in Kosovo,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Kosovo,

– having regard to the joint recommendations adopted at the 12th meeting of the EU-Kosovo Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, held on 9 December 2024,

– having regard to the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International,

– having regard to the 2025 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders,

– having regard to the fact-finding mission to Pristina of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform of 24 and 25 March 2026,

– having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0166/2026),

A. whereas enlargement policy is one of the most effective EU foreign policy instruments, one of the most successful policies to incentivise and encourage fundamental reforms in enlargement countries, and a strategic geopolitical investment in long-term peace, stability and security throughout the continent;

B. whereas democracy, human rights and the rule of law are the fundamental values on which the EU is founded; whereas these fundamental values cannot be compromised in the context of the enlargement process;

C. whereas the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo is one of the most progressive in terms of minority rights;

D. whereas each enlargement country is judged strictly on its own merits; whereas it is the implementation of the necessary reforms and compliance with the set of criteria and common European values that determine the timetable and progress of accession; whereas the accession process cannot proceed without the implementation of the necessary reforms;

E. whereas Kosovo’s path towards EU membership also depends on the normalisation of relations with Serbia and on good neighbourly relations;

F. whereas safeguarding the integrity of democratic processes has become a central consideration in the EU’s enlargement policy; whereas Kosovo has been subjected to foreign interference and disinformation campaigns, notably from Russia, including through Serbian nationalist outlets, which have been aimed at destabilising democratic institutions, undermining societal cohesion and obstructing Kosovo’s European integration; whereas strengthening democratic resilience is an integral part of meeting the political criteria for accession;

G. whereas, contrary to the general European line, Kosovo’s independence has not yet been recognised by Cyprus, Greece, Romania, Slovakia and Spain;

Commitment to EU accession

1. Commends Kosovo’s continued commitment to EU accession, which reflects a clear strategic geopolitical choice that enhances security, a strong attachment to Europe, a broad cross-party consensus on European integration and a high level of public support for Kosovo’s European path, in particular through the development of close and concrete relations with the EU;

2. Reiterates its firm belief that Kosovo’s future lies in the EU, especially given the current geopolitical dynamics in the region, rapid major shifts in world politics and growing competition with authoritarian regimes; stresses that the rapprochement between Kosovo and the EU is part of a gradual integration process that goes beyond formal accession alone; stresses that tangible forms of cooperation and gradual integration, including sectoral partnerships, participation in EU programmes such as Erasmus+ and inclusion in certain EU policies, are vital levers for strengthening the ties with Kosovo; emphasises that these instruments help to consolidate Kosovo’s attachment to Europe and address the geostrategic challenges in the region, including by preventing the influence of external actors, without presupposing the speed or outcome of the enlargement process;

3. Welcomes the formation of the new Assembly and Government of Kosovo on 12 February 2026, following the democratic early parliamentary elections held in December 2025 and after more than a year of political stalemate and deep political polarisation; regrets, however, the paralysed political process during 2025 that resulted in a ‘lost year’ for Kosovo; regrets, further, the National Assembly’s failure to elect a new President by the constitutional deadline; takes note of the dissolution of the National Assembly by presidential decree on 6 March 2026 and the subsequent Constitutional Court verdict overturning this decision and granting Members of the Assembly 34 days to elect a new President after which the country would be compelled to hold new elections; takes note of the failed attempts to elect a President by this deadline and the consequent announcement of new legislative elections for 7 June 2026;

4. Welcomes, furthermore, the Kosovo National Assembly’s ratification of the agreements under the Reform and Growth Facility on 13 February 2026; notes that this paves the way for Kosovo to access substantial grants and concessional loans aimed at advancing key reforms, to accelerate its economic convergence and to make further progress on its European path; deeply regrets that, given the ‘lost year’ and in view of potentially losing additional months to an election campaign, the country may not be able to deliver on all the necessary reforms by the deadlines, and would risk losing significant amounts of financial support under the Reform and Growth Facility;

5. Stresses that credible enlargement is rooted in a merit-based process, requiring a sustained and irreversible reform momentum and the rigorous implementation of reforms that meet EU standards, notably the Copenhagen criteria; calls on Kosovo to step up its progress in implementing EU-related reforms, particularly in the areas of the rule of law, fundamental freedoms and the fight against corruption, in particular high-level corruption, and to continue its efforts by strengthening its commitment to European values and standards; stresses that any pre-accession assistance and related financial assistance must remain strictly conditional on measurable and verifiable results in these areas; recalls, in this regard, the importance of upholding the rule of law, guaranteeing respect for the opinions of all, and effectively applying laws in practice; emphasises that reprioritising and achieving tangible progress on these reforms is necessary for Kosovo to strengthen its attachment to Europe and continue on its path to getting back on track towards EU accession; stresses that enlargement also implies thorough preparation on the part of the EU institutions and Member States in order to ensure the successful integration of potential new members, while respecting the economic stability of the internal market, social and environmental standards, and the proper functioning of the EU institutions;

6. Supports Kosovo’s application for EU membership, submitted in December 2022; reiterates its call on the Member States within the Council to invite the Commission to present its questionnaire without undue delay and to submit its opinion on the merits of the country’s application for membership and call on the Council to act swiftly thereafter, including by granting candidate status once the relevant criteria are fulfilled; calls on the five Member States that have not yet recognised Kosovo’s independence to do so without delay to enable it to advance on an equal footing with other candidates; recalls the ICJ advisory opinion of 22 July 2010, which states that the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo does not violate general international law;

7. Reiterates its full support for Kosovo’s application for membership of the Council of Europe, for the country’s strategic orientation plan to join the NATO Partnership for Peace programme and for its bids to join other international organisations; calls on the organisations concerned and the Member States to actively support these applications; notes that Kosovo’s rapprochement with NATO strengthens European security; calls on the Commission and the EU Office in Kosovo to step up their efforts to enhance the visibility and understanding, in Kosovo, of the EU and of the concrete benefits of a stronger partnership between the EU and Kosovo; urges Serbia not to object to Kosovo’s membership of the Council of Europe and of other international organisations, which would contradict the 2023 agreement between Kosovo and Serbia on the path to normalisation of relations between them;

8. Commends Kosovo as a reliable partner of the EU, as demonstrated by its continued voluntary alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), including its continued implementation of EU restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus, its clear condemnation of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and the consistently high level of public support for EU integration among its citizens; expects Kosovo to maintain this alignment and to continue its efforts to contain the Russian threat;

9. Welcomes the signing, on 18 March 2025, of the trilateral declaration on defence cooperation between Kosovo, Albania and Croatia, aimed at strengthening defence capabilities and enhancing cooperation in countering hybrid threats;

10. Welcomes the long-overdue decision to lift EU measures against Kosovo, including the release of EUR 216 million in priority contracts and programming in December 2025 and the release of the remaining EUR 205 million in early 2026; considers that these measures stood in clear contradiction to Kosovo’s demonstrated commitment to European values and its alignment with EU policies, and were no longer justified given that all necessary requirements have been met; notes the negative impact that these measures have had on Kosovo’s society, particularly on local communities, civil society organisations and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs); questions the lack of transparency and predictability, the inadequate public information and the prolonged duration of the measures, despite Kosovo having met the requirements laid down by the EU;

Democracy and the rule of law