Kosovo Will Sign SAA This Year, Hahn Says

On a visit to Kosovo, his first since becoming EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn said Kosovo would sign a key stability deal with the EU by the end of the year.

 "I look forward to our member states' agreement to sign and to conclude the Stabilization and Association Agreement. I hope to put forward proposals to this affect in May, and have the adoption process completed by the end of this year so it can come into force by next year," Hahn said.

The Commissioner stressed that the EU continued to support Kosovo's reform processes, pledging 660 million euro a year in IPA funding for Kosovo for the 2014-2020 period.

"Kosovo's progress on the EU path is important for Kosovo and the region, but I must stress that it is especially important for the EU itself," he said.

Hahn said the key issues that Kosovo needs to be deal with "in the immediate future" include the rule of law, the independence of the judiciary and the economy - to fight unemployment and improve the investment climate.

He applauded Prime Minister Isal Mustafa for prioritising economic reform, tying the current dismal economic situation "to the large number of migrants currently deciding to leave the country".

Although not directly tied to membership negotiations, the SAA agreement would be Kosovo's first step towards starting negotiations on EU accession.

The EU proposed that SAA negotiations with Kosovo start soon after the signing of the agreement on the normalization of relations with Serbia in 2012.

Kosovo is the only country in the region that has not signed an SAA with the EU, although Bosnia's agreement is still undergoing ratification and is not in force.

However, the EU has announced...