2013 Brussels Agreement

Agreement to normalise Serbia and Kosovo relations Brussels Agreement First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations 200px Treaty Normalisation of Kosovo–Serbia relations yes 2013 4 19 Brussels, Belgium *European Union *Hashim Thaçi (Kosovo) Ivica Dačić (Serbia) *Kosovo Serbia The First Agreement of Principles Governing the Normalisation of Relations, informally known as the Brussels Agreement (sr Бриселски споразум / Briselski sporazum, sq Marrëveshja e Brukselit), is an agreement to normalize relations between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo.srbija.gov.rs Brussels Agreement https://www.srbija.gov.rs/specijal/en/120394 2021-07-15 www.srbija.gov.rs en 2021-07-15 https://web.archive.org/web/20210715172858/https://www.srbija.gov.rs/specijal/en/120394 live The agreement, negotiated and concluded in Brussels under the auspices of the European Union, was signed on 19 April 2013.Republic of Serbia - Government http://www.kim.gov.rs/doc/Finalni%20Izvestaj%20KKiM%20april%202015%20engl.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20150908072248/http://www.kim.gov.rs:80/doc/Finalni%20Izvestaj%20KKiM%20april%202015%20engl.pdf 2015-09-08 Negotiations were led by Serbian prime minister Ivica Dačić and Kosovo prime minister Hashim Thaçi, mediated by EU High Representative Catherine Ashton. The government of Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state, but began normalising relations with the government of Kosovo as a result of the agreement.https://biepag.eu/article/eu-balkans-integration-hand-in-hand-with-kosovo-serbia-dialogue/ EU-Balkans Integration, Hand in Hand With Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue July 27, 2021 BiEPAG September 26, 2021 September 26, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210926173649/https://biepag.eu/article/eu-balkans-integration-hand-in-hand-with-kosovo-serbia-dialogue/ live In Belgrade, the agreement was criticized by protestors as a convalidation of Kosovo independence.http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2013&mm=04&dd=06&nav_category=11&nav_id=702497 Dveri protiv "briselskog sporazuma" Dveri against the "Brussels Agreement" B92 2023-05-27 sr Background Advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence Following the Kosovo War and the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, Kosovo (as part of Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) was placed under United Nations administration under UNSC Resolution 1244. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, which has been recognised by countries. However, Serbia maintains that Kosovo continues to be part of its territory.https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=07&dd=27&nav_id=107067 Dacic: The Central African Republic has withdrawn recognition of Kosovo's independence B92.net en 2020-03-16 2020-11-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20201111201948/https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=07&dd=27&nav_id=107067 live European Union-mediated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia began in March 2011.https://balkaninsight.com/2013/04/19/kosovo-and-serbia-may-seal-eu-deal/ Kosovo and Serbia Reach Historic Deal in Brussels April 19, 2013 June 28, 2020 December 25, 2018 https://web.archive.org/web/20181225051932/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/kosovo-and-serbia-may-seal-eu-deal live Serbia and Kosovo were urged to continue talks in Brussels, but Serbia was not obliged to recognise Kosovo during the process.http://b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2011&mm=06&dd=17&nav_id=74978 "EU wants results of dialogue, not recognition of Kosovo" Bulevar B92 2021-09-26 2020-06-30 https://web.archive.org/web/20200630133342/https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2011&mm=06&dd=17&nav_id=74978 live Talks thumb|upright=1.35|alt=The Serbian and Kosovar prime ministers and a mediator at a conference|(left to right) Serbian prime minister Ivica Dačić, mediator Catherine Ashton, and Kosovar prime minister Hashim Thaçi in Munich, 2014 Ten rounds of talks were held at the European External Action Service office in Brussels. EU High Representative Catherine Ashton chaired the talks for two years, followed by Federica Mogherini. Normalisation of relations with neighbouring states is a key precondition for states wishing to join the EU; the Brussels Agreement brought Serbia close to EU accession talks and Kosovo to initializing a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA). The SAA was signed by HR Mogherini and Kosovar prime minister Isa Mustafa in October 2015. United States diplomats have supported the EU-led dialogue. U.S. secretary of state Hillary Clinton invited Baroness Ashton to travel in the Balkans, and they made joint visits to Belgrade, Pristina, and Sarajevo in October 2012. The European Commission advised beginning an SAA with Kosovo after the agreement was concluded,Serbia and Kosovo reach landmark deal http://eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/2013/190413__eu-facilitated_dialogue_en.htm European Union External Action Service 28 October 2013 30 April 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130430071833/http://eeas.europa.eu/top_stories/2013/190413__eu-facilitated_dialogue_en.htm live and accession negotiations began with Serbia. The agreement was supported by the European Union, NATO, the OSCE, and the United Nations.Ban welcomes 'landmark' agreement between Serbia and Kosovo negotiators https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44708&Cr=kosovo&Cr1#.Um8DpPk5kZw UN News Centre 29 October 2013 11 February 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210211063828/https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44708&Cr=kosovo&Cr1#.Um8DpPk5kZw live Agreement thumb|alt=Yellow map of Kosovo, with the planned Community of Serb Municipalities in blue|Map of Kosovo, with the planned Community of Serb Municipalities in blue The two-page agreement has 15 paragraphs. Paragraphs 1–6 concern the establishment, scope, and functions of the planned Community of Serb Municipalities. Paragraphs 7–9 concern police and security, specifying one police force for all of Kosovo (including the north) known as the Kosovo Police. Paragraph 11 stipulates that municipal elections shall be held throughout Kosovo under Kosovo law. Paragraph 12 provides for the creation of an implementation plan and specifies a date (now past) by which the plan would be concluded. Paragraph 13 undertakes to intensify discussions on energy and telecommunications. According to Paragraph 14, "Neither side will block, or encourage others to block, the other side's progress in their respective EU paths." Paragraph 15 envisages the establishment of an implementation committee with EU facilitation. The document agrees on the integration of Serb-majority municipalities in North Kosovo into the Kosovar legal system, with two guarantees:September 2026 Nothing in the Crisis Group publication suggests that these are the two 'guarantees' stipulated by the agreement, this text should be rewritten based on sources. All judicial matters are under the law of Kosovo, but Kosovo Serbs must be a majority of certain judicial panels; a panel (the Mitrovica District Court) must sit in North Mitrovica. All policing is to be done by the Kosovo Police, but the police regional commander of the Serb-majority areas must be a Kosovo Serb chosen from a list provided by Kosovo Serb municipalities.http://www.rts.rs/upload/storyBoxFileData/2013/04/20/3224318/Originalni%20tekst%20Predloga%20sporazuma.pdf First agreement of principles governing the normalization of relations rts.rs 2015-08-22 2013-05-02 https://web.archive.org/web/20130502140643/http://www.rts.rs/upload/storyBoxFileData/2013/04/20/3224318/Originalni%20tekst%20Predloga%20sporazuma.pdf live http://blog.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/2013/05/07/the-kosovo-serbia-agreement-why-less-is-more/ The Kosovo-Serbia Agreement: Why Less Is More Crisis Group 7 May 2013 2015-08-22 https://web.archive.org/web/20150910130101/http://blog.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/2013/05/07/the-kosovo-serbia-agreement-why-less-is-more/ 10 September 2015 dead Later talks After the agreement was signed, meetings have been held regularly to implement its provisions. A judicial agreement was reached in February 2015, followed by agreements on energy and telecommunications operators. On 25 August of that year, an agreement was concluded to establish the Association of Serbian Communities. Concerns existed about how the 2013 local-government elections in Kosovo would be administered, with the government of Serbia objecting to any mention of "the state of Kosovo" on ballot papers;Serbia and Kosovo hold talks in Brussels http://www.euronews.com/2013/08/27/serbia-and-kosovo-hold-talks-in-brussels/ 28 October 2013 Euronews 27 August 2013 5 November 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131105041333/http://www.euronews.com/2013/08/27/serbia-and-kosovo-hold-talks-in-brussels/ dead however, the Serbian government agreed that it should encourage Serbs in northern Kosovo to participate in the local elections.Serbian PM claims Kosovo breaches Brussels agreement: media http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-10/05/c_132772853.htm 28 October 2013 Xinhua 5 October 2013 26 November 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131126181639/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-10/05/c_132772853.htm dead That October, arrangements were made for Serbian officials to visit North Kosovo.Belgrade, Pristina overcome dispute ahead of Kosovo local polls http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/serbia-kosovo.qs4/ 29 October 2013 EUbusiness 8 October 2013 17 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131217035844/http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/serbia-kosovo.qs4 live It was agreed that electoral bodies in Kosovo would include Kosovo Serb representatives,Brussels Deal: Serbian Officials Free To Enter Kosovo http://inserbia.info/news/2013/10/brussels-deal-serbian-officials-free-to-enter-kosovo/ 29 October 2013 inSerbia 8 October 2013 11 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131011000842/http://inserbia.info/news/2013/10/brussels-deal-serbian-officials-free-to-enter-kosovo/ live and the international dialing code +383 would be assigned to Kosovo.Serbia allocated calling code to Kosovo http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2013&mm=09&dd=09&nav_id=87597 28 October 2013 B92 9 September 2013 17 May 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20140517132223/http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2013&mm=09&dd=09&nav_id=87597 live After some delay,Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini following the meeting of the EU-facilitated dialogue http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150825_02_en.htm EEAS - European Union 25 August 2015 26 August 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150826222451/http://eeas.europa.eu/statements-eeas/2015/150825_02_en.htm live the new geographic phone code was implemented in December 2016.http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/383-kosovo-s-dial-code-12-15-2016 Kosovo Hails Receipt of Own Telephone Code balkaninsight.com 2016-12-22 2016-12-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20161216170346/http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/383-kosovo-s-dial-code-12-15-2016 live Serbian reaction Scholars Smilja Avramov and Elena Guskova maintain that the agreement violates the Constitution of Serbia and the United Nations Charter, and is an indirect recognition of Kosovar independence.Смиља Аврамов: Споразум Београда и Приштине индиректно признање самопроглашеног Косова http://www.novinar.de/2013/04/20/smilja-avramov-sporazum-beograda-i-pristine-indirektno-priznanje-samoproglasenog-kosova.html 30 October 2013 Novinar Online SRNA Српски експерт за међународно право Смиља Аврамов оцијенила је да споразум између Београда и Приштине представља индиректно признање самопроглашеног Косова и поручила да је њиме погажена Повеља УН која Србији гарантује територијални интегритет....Јелена Гускова: Споразум Београда и Приштине је уговор о признању независности Косова 2 November 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131102002720/http://www.novinar.de/2013/04/20/smilja-avramov-sporazum-beograda-i-pristine-indirektno-priznanje-samoproglasenog-kosova.html live The Assembly of Kosovo has ratified the agreement, incorporated it into law, and treats it as an "international agreement."http://www.kuvendikosoves.org/common/docs/ligjet/Zakon%20o%20ratifikaciji%20sporazuma%20normalizacija%20odnosa%20Kosova%20-%20Serbije.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20160304092430/http://www.kuvendikosoves.org/common/docs/ligjet/Zakon%20o%20ratifikaciji%20sporazuma%20normalizacija%20odnosa%20Kosova%20-%20Serbije.pdf 2016-03-04 ] The National Assembly of Serbia has not treated the agreement as international and has not ratified it, the Serbian procedure for approving an international agreement;http://www.parlament.gov.rs/upload/archive/files/lat/pdf/zakoni/2013/299-13Lat.pdf Zakon o zakljucivanju i izvrsenju medjunarodnih ugovora 2014-12-15 2015-09-24 https://web.archive.org/web/20150924064936/http://www.parlament.gov.rs/upload/archive/files/lat/pdf/zakoni/2013/299-13Lat.pdf live however, it has accepted the government report about the "hitherto process of political and technical dialogue with the temporary institutions in Pristina with the mediation of EU, including the process of implementation of the achieved agreements."http://www.parlament.gov.rs/upload/archive/files/lat/pdf/ostala_akta/2013/RS21-13Lat.pdf O PRIHVATANjU IZVEŠTAJA O DOSADAŠNjEM PROCESS POLITIČKOG I TEHNIČKOG DIJALOGA SA PRIVREMENIM INSTITUCIJAMA SAMOUPRAVE U PRIŠTINI UZ POSREDOVANjE EVROPSKE UNIJE, UKLjUČUJUĆI PROCES IMPLEMENTACIJE POSTIGNUTIH DOGOVORA 2014-12-15 2014-12-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20141216010521/http://www.parlament.gov.rs/upload/archive/files/lat/pdf/ostala_akta/2013/RS21-13Lat.pdf live The constitutional court in Belgrade did not answer a question about the constitutionality of the agreement, saying in December 2014 that the issue was a political question and not a legal one.http://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2014&mm=12&dd=14&nav_category=12&nav_id=936315 "Briselski sporazum Je politički" - B92.net B92.net 2017-03-20 sr-Latn-RS 2018-01-11 https://web.archive.org/web/20180111164905/https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2014&mm=12&dd=14&nav_category=12&nav_id=936315 live Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić said in 2018 that the agreement is a difficult compromise for Serbia, which Vučić said had met all of its obligations.https://rs.n1info.com/english/news/a444538-president-vucic-says-he-will-and39tell-the-truthand39-at-un-security-council-session/ President Vucic says he will tell the truth at UN Security Council session N1 info Serbia en 2018-12-16 2021-04-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20210419150716/https://rs.n1info.com/english/news/a444538-president-vucic-says-he-will-and39tell-the-truthand39-at-un-security-council-session/ live On 24 March 2022, Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić claimed that the Brussels Agreement "no longer exists", citing the suspension of court president of Mitrovica Ljiljana Stevanović by the Kosovo Judicial Council and alleged plans to remove all Serb commanders from the Kosovo police force as the primary reason.24 March 2022 Vučić poručio da Briselski sporazum više ne postoji https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/srbija-kosovo-briselcki-sporazum/31769091.html 25 March 2022 www.slobodnaevropa.org24 March 2022 Suspendovana predsednica suda u Mitrovici zbog učešća na sastanku sa Vučićem https://www.slobodnaevropa.org/a/kosovo-sud-mitrovica-suspenzija/31769033.html www.slobodnaevropa.org Prime Minister Ana Brnabić made similar remarks and claimed that basic human rights of the Serb community in Kosovo were not respected.24 March 2022 Brnabić: "Briselski sporazum je mrtav"; Vulin: "Ovo je prvi korak ka uvlačenju Srbije u oružane sukobe" https://www.b92.net/info/vesti/index.php?yyyy=2022&mm=03&dd=24&nav_category=640&nav_id=2128082 www.b92.net See also Accession of Kosovo to the European Union Accession of Serbia to the European Union Belgrade–Pristina Dialogue International recognition of Kosovo Kosovo and Serbia economic normalisation agreements Kosovo–Serbia relations Ohrid Agreement (2023) References 2 External links Full text of the First Agreement Implementation Plan Policy briefs Category:2013 in Brussels Category:2013 in Kosovo Category:2013 in Serbia Category:April 2013 in Europe Category:Treaties of Kosovo Category:Treaties of Serbia Category:Treaties entered into force in 2013 Category:Kosovo peace process Category:History of Kosovo Category:North Kosovo Category:Kosovo–Serbia relations Category:Belgium–Serbia relations Category:Kosovo–European Union relations Category:Serbia–European Union relations