Can the European Union Resolve the Life-Cycle of the Conflict in Kosovo?
grated into Kosovo’s police structure. The Association Court5 will be
integrated into Kosovo’s legal frameworks but the Appellate Court of
Kosovo will establish a panel court to deal with North Kosovar appeals
with Serbs as the majority of the panelists (Vogel 2013). The agreement
provides a sound basis to achieve a lasting peace with provision for the
decentralisation of governance and the integration of Kosovar Serbs in
the administration of Kosovo.
The EU has given more leeway to Serbia and Kosovo since both parties
signed the agreement. Despite the non-recognition of Kosovo by five
EU members, the EU has initiated negotiations for the ‘Stabilisation and
Association Agreement’, which is a step towards EU membership (Füle
2013). Serbia has also gained from being granted candidate status to join
the EU (European Commission 2014).
Conclusion
The hundred year cycle of Kosovar conflict has entered a “de-escalatory” scale for now (Vrbetic 2013: 308), raising hopes among many for
a long-lasting resolution. Its solution is in hands of the PMs and their
Governments in Kosovo and Serbia. They foresee that a solution F