The delegations of Kosovo and the European Commission met on 8 October in Brussels for the eighth meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) dealing with innovation, the information society and social policies. According to the press release of the EU Office in Kosovo, the agenda covered a broad range of issues: education and youth, employment and social protection, telecommunications and audiovisual policies, as well as the preservation of cultural heritage.
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Speaking on employment, the European Commission called on Kosovo’s institutions to bring the long-stalled legislation to adoption, which affects employment, work-life balance, as well as occupational safety and health – areas that also constitute government priorities.
“The restructuring process of the Employment Agency must be completed, while its capacities should be strengthened, so that active labour market measures are implemented efficiently and have a concrete effect in reducing unemployment and inactivity, especially among working-age women. The authorities were also encouraged to ensure that the Labour Inspectorate has sufficient financial and human resources to fulfil its mandate, and to increase transparency in reporting workplace accident cases. The Commission praised Kosovo’s work so far in the pilot implementation of the Youth Guarantee Scheme, which aims to address the high number of young people who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), and encouraged the creation of conditions for its full implementation. The Commission also encouraged the authorities to help strengthen the capacities of workers’ and employers’ organisations to negotiate and independently conclude collective agreements.
Regarding social protection and inclusion, the Commission acknowledged the progress recorded in the reform of social assistance schemes and expressed that it expects their full implementation, including the entry into force of the Law on Social Assistance and Social Benefits. Social services require regular and uniform monitoring and inspection. It was also stressed that the financing of the provision of these services by municipalities should be prioritised, through a dedicated grant in municipal budgets.
As for the information society, the Commission welcomed the implementation of mobile number portability, which has ensured efficient use of numbering resources and has fostered competition among mobile operators in Kosovo on equal terms. The country is expected to continue implementing the e-Governance Strategy 2023-2028 and the Digital Agenda 2023, as well as to expand the range of electronic services that the eKosova platform offers to citizens and businesses. The allocation of sufficient resources for the national cybersecurity strategy and its action plan was also requested. On the legislative side, Kosovo must fully align its framework with the EU’s NIS2 Directive on cybersecurity, the EU Regulation on electronic identification and trust services 2.0, as well as the European Electronic Communications Code.
On audiovisual policy, the two parties agreed that Kosovo should continue aligning its legislation with the Audiovisual Media Services Directive and the European Freedom of the Media Act. Also, a sustainable solution was requested for financing the public broadcaster, in line with the EU acquis.
Addressing education, the Commission commended the progress made in increasing participation in early childhood education, in expanding vocational education and training (VET), and in adopting the new curriculum for children aged 0 to 6. It was also stressed that basic skills, STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and digitalisation should remain priorities in key policy and legislative documents. The positive participation in the Erasmus+ programme was welcomed, while the importance of strengthening governance at all levels of education was highlighted. For its part, Kosovo informed participants of the concrete steps to strengthen basic skills in light of the latest PISA testing results, of the efforts to improve results in reading, mathematics and science, of the current state of key legislative programmes, as well as of recent developments in the field of sport and youth.
In the segment on vocational education and training, both sides converged on the need for skills to better match labour market demands, for curricula and training profiles to be reviewed, and for the VET financing system to be reorganised.
On cultural heritage issues, the Commission asked the authorities for continued commitment to the work of the Implementation and Monitoring Council, the adoption of the Law on Cultural Heritage, and the full use of the opportunities offered by the Creative Europe programme.
On scientific research and innovation, the parties agreed that additional investments in the relevant capacities are needed, with the aim of increasing competitiveness, integration into the European Research Area and participation in the Horizon Europe programme. According to the Commission, the research and innovation ecosystem requires sufficient funding, with budget allocations that should reach around 1% of GDP. Kosovo was also asked to continue working on finalising the national Smart Specialisation Strategy.
The SAA represents the framework within which Kosovo and the EU exchange views on technical and policy issues related to pro-European reforms. Its structure includes the Stabilisation and Association Council, supported by the Stabilisation and Association Committee, as well as sub-committees covering a broad range of the EU acquis. The conclusions of these meetings directly feed into the European Commission’s annual reports.
Each sub-committee meeting tracks and follows Kosovo’s progress on the reform path and identifies ways in which the EU can contribute to this process.
The sectoral sub-committee meetings cover seven areas: justice, freedom and security; innovation, information society, social policies, education and culture; trade, industry, customs and taxation; internal market, competition, consumer and health protection; agriculture, fisheries, forestry, food safety; transport, environment, energy, climate change and regional development; economic and financial issues, statistics.
Public administration reform and the normalisation of Kosovo-Serbia relations are addressed separately, through meetings of special groups.
The European Commission and Kosovo jointly chair the meetings of the SAA committee and sub-committees. Each meeting produces joint follow-up actions, which are then undertaken by Kosovo’s authorities. The period between meetings serves to implement the agreed recommendations and actions,” concludes the press release of the EU Office in Kosovo.
