In an interview with KosovaPress, which is also his last as head of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, Barbano stressed that EULEX, in its role as the second security responder in Kosovo, is ready to act when necessary. According to him, this constitutes a highly important political message.

Barbano: EU states are ready to risk their police officers’ lives to support Kosovo

“The Kosovo Police is the first security responder, while KFOR is the third responder. In between them, EULEX acts as the second security responder, at the clear request of the Kosovo Police, if the situation requires it. In doing so, we exercise our role as second responder in line with the will of the member states of the European Union. This means that EU member states are ready to risk the lives of their police officers serving in EULEX in order to support Kosovo and its institutions. This is a very important political message that must be understood. It means that we are ready to intervene if necessary,” Barbano told KosovaPress.

He further adds that EULEX remains committed to contributing to the preservation of security, while noting that there are also mechanisms in place to secure reinforcements from reserve police units if the need arises.

Barbano: If needed, we can receive reinforcements from reserve units to preserve security

“We hope there will be no need for this, but we also have mechanisms to receive reinforcements from reserve police units provided by the European Gendarmerie Force. We remain committed to contributing to efforts to preserve security. In this regard, we have improved the mechanisms for joint training and continuous information exchange, and we have also increased our interoperability with the Kosovo Police and KFOR. This has proven effective in several cases,” he underlined.

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According to the study prepared by KPMG LLP on behalf of Philip Morris Products S.A., for the first time since 2014, more than one in ten cigarettes consumed in the EU belong to the illegal market. In 2025, this volume reached 41.8 billion cigarettes, or 10.3% of total consumption, while estimated losses in tax revenues amount to 16.7 billion euros. This is the first return above the 10% threshold since 2014.

The same data show that the trend is rising across Europe. In the 38 countries included in the study, illegal consumption was estimated at 55.3 billion cigarettes, with estimated losses for state budgets of 22.4 billion euros. The report stresses that the main share of this market consists of counterfeit cigarettes, which amount to 18.3 billion units, or 44% of total illegal consumption in the EU. Compared with 2024, the quantity of counterfeit cigarettes and tobacco products increased by more than 20%.

According to expert assessments, high levels of taxation and restrictive rules may push consumers toward the illegal market. At a conference on the illegal tobacco trade held in Brussels, Lithuania’s deputy border police commander, Donatas Shkarnulis, said better alignment of laws and administrative methods is needed to tackle this activity more effectively.

“We are doing a lot. However, as shown in the presentations, the production of counterfeits continues to grow over time. Our efforts to reduce this phenomenon are not always sufficient. Better harmonization of laws and administrative methods is needed to preserve our ability to deal with this problem,” Shkarnulis said.

Hristos Harpantidis, general manager for corporate affairs at Philip Morris, also underlined that the fight against illegal trade requires joint action, with stronger law enforcement, cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as balanced regulations that are evidence-based and practical to implement.

The report singles out France, Belgium and the Netherlands as some of the EU countries where illegal consumption has increased under the impact of tougher regulatory policies. France remains the largest illegal cigarette market in Europe, where 41.4% of total consumption is illegal. In Belgium, this percentage is 24.8%, while in the Netherlands it reaches 22.1%.

On the other hand, the report also highlights cases where illegal trade has declined thanks to balanced policies that combine predictable fiscal approaches, proportional regulation and consistent enforcement. Greece, for example, records a 14.1% share for illegal trade, down from more than 20% in past years. Likewise, Ukraine has posted positive results, reducing illegal trade by almost 1 billion cigarettes despite the difficult security situation.

In Macedonia, the level of illegal cigarette consumption remains relatively low compared with many EU markets, but the clear expansion of its share of the market remains a concern.

The data show that illegal cigarettes account for about 3.6% of overall consumption, while compared with last year this share has increased by approximately 1.3 percentage points. This shows that the market is not remaining stable, but is expanding.

This increase is seen as an early signal of changes in the system. It suggests that illegal cigarettes are becoming more accessible or more attractive to consumers. Although the level remains moderate, the increase shows that pressure on the legal market is growing and that illegal supply is intensifying.

It is also emphasized that this analysis does not include illegal hand-rolled tobacco, which represents a separate and often even greater challenge in North Macedonia, at around 13% in total.

According to the assessment presented, such an increase is rarely linked only to local changes in consumption. Within the framework of KPMG’s analysis, increases are usually accompanied by stronger supply dynamics, implying that products are entering the market more easily and in larger quantities through broader regional flows. This indicates that the country is gradually shifting from a mainly destination market into a link in the movement and redistribution of illegal products in the region.

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According to the results, 88 percent of citizens say they trust the United States of America, while an equal 88 percent also express trust in NATO, placing these two institutions at the top of the list of the country’s most trusted international partners.

The European Union comes immediately after them, with 83 percent of respondents saying they trust it. Next are the World Bank with 82 percent and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with 80 percent.

Among the international actors included in this list is also Turkey, which enjoys the trust of 78 percent of Kosovars surveyed.

The data are part of the findings of the 2026 annual survey for Kosovo, which examines citizens’ perceptions of the European Union.

Support for the youngest state in the Balkans joining the EU remains high. According to the survey, 83 percent of citizens say they support Kosovo’s European integration, while 85 percent believe membership would bring more benefits than drawbacks.

The report highlights that 68 percent of citizens feel well informed or somewhat informed about Kosovo’s European integration process.

Regarding the possible timeline for membership, 48 percent of respondents think Kosovo could become part of the EU within the next five years. Meanwhile, 32 percent believe this could happen within a period of five to 15 years, while only 3 percent believe Kosovo will never become a member of the European Union.

As for the benefits associated with EU membership, the most frequently mentioned is improving Kosovo’s image in the international arena, selected by 49 percent of respondents. This is followed by peace and security for Kosovo and the region with 43 percent, as well as a better future for children with 42 percent.

On the other hand, citizens see widespread corruption as the main obstacle to European integration, cited by 40 percent of them. It is followed by the EU’s lack of interest in having Kosovo as a member at 27 percent, while the lack of political will in Kosovo is mentioned by 26 percent.

The report also notes a high level of trust in the European Union. Around 83 percent of citizens say they trust the EU, while 64 percent say they have a positive image of the bloc.

As for financial aid, 97 percent of citizens are aware that the European Union funds projects in Kosovo. Of these, 65 percent consider this support effective.

According to respondents, the areas where the EU should play a greater role in Kosovo are economic development and trade, the healthcare system, as well as the fight against corruption and the strengthening of the rule of law.

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Ambasada e SHBA, përmes një postimi në Facebook, shkruan:  Gëzuar Krishtlindjet nga të gjithë ne në Ambasadën e SHBA! Gëzuar festat dhe urimet më të mira për një vit të ri të lumtur dhe të begatë!

Edhe delegacioni i BE ka uruar Krishtlindje të gëzuara.

“Delegacioni i BE-së në Tiranë dërgon urimet e tij më të ngrohta për një Krishtlindje të gëzuar për të gjithë ata që festojnë këtë moment të gëzueshëm në #Shqipëri”, shkuan në Twitter./albeu.com

Delegacioni i #BE-së ?? në Tiranë dërgon urimet e tij më të ngrohta për një Krishtlindje të gëzuar ? për të gjithë ata që festojnë këtë moment të gëzueshëm në #Shqipëri ??! https://t.co/ShwTDdG4Ar

— EU in Albania (@EUinAlbania) December 25, 2022

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