Zulfaj: Kosovo Would Lead the Region Without the Parliamentary Blockade

Kosovo’s chief negotiator with the European Union, Jeton Zulfaj, announced that the country submitted its first request for the disbursement of funds from the EU Reform and Growth Facility within the official deadline.

The request includes reforms completed by June 30 under the Reform Agenda. According to Zulfaj, the European Union will review the submitted documentation and evidence within three months before deciding on the release of the funds.

The request does not include six reform measures that were not completed by the set deadline due to the blockade in parliament. Five of them relate to laws that were to be adopted by MPs, while one could not be approved by the caretaker government.

Zulfaj said that the dysfunction of parliament has slowed reforms and put EU funds intended for Kosovo’s development and integration at risk. He said the laws that were not adopted on time would be submitted to the 11th legislature as soon as it is constituted.

According to him, Kosovo would have been a regional leader in fulfilling reforms had there not been a parliamentary blockade.

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In my capacity as National Coordinator for the Reform and Growth Facility, yesterday I submitted to the European Union, within the official deadline, the request for the release of funds for reforms completed by the June 30 deadline under the Reform Agenda.

This marks the first time that an official request has been submitted for the release of funds under the Reform and Growth Facility for completed reforms. Meanwhile, the request for pre-financing had already been submitted in 2024, and the pre-financing funds have already been released.

The document includes all completed reforms that had been planned for implementation by the end of June this year, as well as those completed ahead of schedule.

As I announced at the press conference on July 1, this request excludes six steps that could not be completed by June 30, within the additional deadline, due to the blockade in parliament. Five of them involved laws that had to pass through parliament, while one was a step that the caretaker government could not approve.

Had parliament been functional, all the steps would have been completed on time.

The consequences of the blockade in parliament are felt not only in the pace of reforms that facilitate and improve citizens’ lives, but also in European Union funds earmarked for investments in Kosovo’s development and integration into the EU.

Reforms remain a government priority. For this reason, all laws that did not pass in time will be submitted to the 11th legislature immediately after it is constituted.

The European Union has three months to assess the evidence of Kosovo’s reforms, while the release of funds is based on this assessment.

Kosovo will submit its next request for the release of funds on January 15, 2027. By December 31 of this year, dozens of reform steps must be completed, some of which have deadlines at the end of this year.

The reforms include laws, new strategies and the accompanying secondary legislation. For this reason, the role and responsibility of parliament are vital for their timely completion.

Although the reforms are demanding, as is the European Union accession process itself, Kosovo’s institutions have the willingness and capacity to ensure that every reform is implemented on time.

Indeed, without the blockade in parliament, Kosovo would be at the forefront of the region in fulfilling reforms.

I thank all institutions and officials who have taken part in implementing the reforms for their cooperation, as well as the coordinating structure for the European integration process at the Office of the Prime Minister for coordinating this process.

Success in reforms is success for Kosovo.