The Association of Kosovo Municipalities (AKK) has opposed the Draft Law on Public Property and called for municipalities to retain their status as owners of municipal property.
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According to the AKK, the provisions of the Draft Law stipulate that municipalities would no longer be considered owners of municipal property, but would merely act as its users or administrators.
In a Facebook announcement, the Association said the issue had been discussed by the Council of Mayors. The AKK said the mayors and municipal representatives who participated in the discussion unanimously supported the municipalities’ demands.
“Hands off municipal property—mayors unanimously oppose centralization!” the AKK said in its response.
The Association believes that the proposal “undermines local autonomy, conflicts with the Law on Local Self-Government, and directly harms the economic development of municipalities.”
The response also emphasized: “The message is clear: municipal property belongs to municipalities and cannot be alienated through a centralizing Draft Law!”
The AKK announced that it would forward the demands approved by the mayors and municipal representatives to the Ministry of Justice.
Among other things, the municipalities are demanding that the Draft Law clearly define them as the owners of municipal property and remove the wording stating that the Republic of Kosovo is the sole owner of all public property.
Another demand is for municipal assemblies to retain the authority to decide on the transfer, exchange, and leasing of municipal property. Property purchased, built, or created using municipal funds should also be registered in the municipality’s name.
The AKK is calling for the unified central register of public property to serve solely as a coordination mechanism and not replace municipal registers.
The list of demands also includes preserving municipalities’ own competencies in local economic development, planning, and land use without imposing restrictions. Meanwhile, oversight by the central level should be limited solely to verifying legality.
The Association is also demanding that revenue generated from municipal property remain with the municipalities and that all legal instruments be used to prevent what it considers the centralization of this competency.
In conclusion, the Association of Kosovo Municipalities called for “a fundamental review of the Draft Law and the full incorporation of the municipalities’ demands.”
