Dialogue-induced Developments on the Ground – Analysis on implementation of the EU-facilitated agreements on freedom of movement and trade between Kosovo and Serbia

November 14, 2013

The EU-facilitated dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia began in March 2011. In under three years, the dialogue has spawned a number of official agreements, changed from technical to political talks, and catalyzed discussion and cooperation between Kosovo and Serbia that would have been unthinkable years prior. The fact that high level politicians from Serbia and Kosovo have come together to hold talks and the agreements themselves represent groundbreaking steps in Kosovo-Serbia relations. Yet the key to a fruitful dialogue lies in the implementation of agreements. The successful implementation of agreements is necessary for normalizing the lives of citizens and is highly relevant to the EU integration processes of both Kosovo and Serbia; the opening of accession talks for Serbia and further EU integration through the conclusion of a Stabilization and Association Agreement and visa-liberalization for Kosovo is conditional on the continued normalization of relations and the implementation of all previous agreements. This policy report analyzes the early bird experiences with implementation of three key agreements – freedom of movement, customs and IBM1 – taking into consideration previous experiences with the flow of commodities and people between Kosovo and Serbia, as well as contemporary demands on economic and regional integration and cooperation. In order to determine the tangible effects of the dialogue, this report will explore the first-hand perspective of impacts of agreement implementation on both freedom of movement and trade between Kosovo and Serbia. In conclusion, this policy report discusses which aspects should be put back on the dialogue table and what steps should be taken to ensure improvements to trade and freedom of movement.

Policy Reports

Dialogue-induced Developments on the Ground – Analysis on implementation of the EU-facilitated agreements on freedom of movement and trade between Kosovo and Serbia

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