The European Union has said it is deeply concerned by the amendments to the Law on Kosovo's Specialist Chambers, which, according to Brussels officials, conflict with Kosovo's international obligations towards the EU.
The law was voted on Tuesday night, shortly before the Assembly elected Justina Shiroka Pula as head of state of Kosovo, who was hailed by Brussels.
"We call on Kosovo to adhere to its international obligations to guarantee the judicial independence of the Kosovo Specialist Chambers, as well as its commitment to ensuring accountability and providing justice to victims and their families from all communities in Kosovo," EU spokesman Christian Wiegand told Radio Free Europe.
He recalled that Brussels has consistently supported the work of the Specialist Chambers as an independent judicial institution, and insisted that their current mandate and their independence be fully respected.
"The Kosovo Specialist Chambers are administering justice based on the principle of individual criminal responsibility," Wiegand emphasized.
Referring to this statement, the deputy of the Democratic Party of Kosovo - the party that launched the initiative to change the law - Përparim Gruda, insisted that Kosovo is not violating its international obligations.
"Kosovo remains faithful to the obligations it has undertaken to investigate allegations of organ trafficking. The Special Court will not be closed and no international obligation will be violated," Gruda said during a press conference.
He reiterated the statement of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, during her visit to Pristina last week, when she said that it is up to Kosovo to decide on changes to the legislation, but that the independence of the Special Court must be guaranteed.
REL contacted the Kosovo Government regarding the EU's criticism, but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
During the first reading of the draft law on October 5, Prime Minister Albin Kurti said that his party, the Vetëvendosje Movement, considered the changes hasty and that it had had little time to analyze them, but that it would support them.
The Specialist Chambers declined to comment directly.
“The Specialist Chambers are fully focused on implementing their mandate to ensure fair, impartial and safe judicial proceedings, as well as the protection of witnesses and victims,” they told Radio Free Europe on October 7.
On the other hand, the EU welcomed the end of the institutional deadlock that had gripped Kosovo since 2025, with the election of the head of state. Brussels said it expects the return of institutional stability, which, according to it, will enable Kosovo to progress on its European path and take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the EU.
The EU spokesperson also recalled that Kosovo has important work ahead of it. This includes reforms related to the Growth and Reform Plan, further implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, as well as progress in regional cooperation and gradual integration into the EU Single Market.
"Although the EU is ready to support Kosovo further, our partnership implies not only shared interests, but also shared responsibilities," Wiegand underlined.
The Kosovo Assembly elected Shiroka Pula as the new president in the early hours of October 7. The election came after a last-minute political agreement, which also secured MPs' votes for legal changes that limit the powers of what is known as the Special Court.
Before the vote for the president, the Assembly approved in second reading the amendments to the Law on Specialized Chambers, thus concluding the parliamentary procedure for the draft law initiated by the opposition Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK).
The extraordinary session was called in the late hours of October 6, after the PDK accepted the ruling Vetëvendosje Movement (LVV)’s proposal for Shiroka Pula to be its presidential candidate. This came after a day of deadlock between the parties. Meanwhile, protests against the changes to the law continued on October 6, a day after clashes between protesters and Kosovo Police.
The legal basis for the establishment of the Specialist Chambers is the 2014 exchange of letters between the then President of Kosovo, Atifete Jahjaga, and the EU High Representative, Catherine Ashton.
Among the commitments that Kosovo made at the time was to consult with the EU on any initiative to change laws that have an impact on the court's mandate, or on judicial procedures stemming from investigations by the Special Investigative Task Force (SITF).
Kosovo also pledged to continue the work of the Specialist Chambers and the Specialist Prosecutor's Office until the completion of the relevant investigations and procedures.
The chambers are based in The Hague, but are part of the Kosovo judicial system. The European Union is their main financial supporter, with almost 400 million euros since its establishment. /Taken from Radio Free Europe
