With the forthcoming European Council set to decide on possible candidate status for Serbia on 9 December, there have been renewed clashes in northern Kosovo, following attempts by the NATO Kosovo mission (KFOR) to dismantle illegal road blocks. The Greens expressed concern at the violence and called for Serbia not to be granted candidate status in the absence of a peaceful solution in northern Kosovo. Commenting on the situation Green foreign policy spokesperson and EU rapporteur/draftsperson on Kosovo Ulrike Lunacek said:

“This latest outbreak of violence should be immediately ended. The Serbian government must proactively intervene to rein in the Serbian extremists in northern Kosovo and ensure the blockades are peacefully dismantled, so that the Ahtisaari Plan can be properly implemented. The EU must exert pressure on Serbia to ensure a peaceful solution in northern Kosovo, notably by withholding any decision on candidate status for Serbia until the dispute has been resolved and relations with Kosovo are significantly improved."

Green foreign policy spokesperson Franziska Brantner added:

"Serbia has clearly made major progress in the implementation of internal reforms and addressing war crimes, which has enabled it to be considered for candidate status. However, by fanning nationalist flames in Kosovo, the Serbian government risks undoing all this progress and, in doing so, is acting against the interests of its own people and their steps towards a European future."

Richard More O'Ferrall,

Press and media officer,

Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament

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