The normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is one of the most important political processes in the Western Balkans in terms of security, regional cooperation, minority rights and European integration of this region. Bearing in mind the role of the EU in the normalisation process, following the 2010 joint Resolution of the UN and Serbia, and that successful normalisation is a necessary precondition for both Serbia and Kosovo to join the EU in the future, support and contribution to this process from civil society is indispensable. When serious backsliding of the process and multiple crises that occurred in the past several years are added to the calculation, it becomes ever more important to pay more attention to this issue. The EU plays a key role in the process, but civil society can complement and support these efforts.
The project emphasises the crucial role of civil society in normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo, a key factor for regional security, cooperation, minority rights, and EU integration. Civil society can complement the normalisation process by creating synergy with the European External Action Service (EEAS). To address the challenge of monitoring dialogue agreements, the project aims to develop a model for transparent, civil society-led monitoring of agreements and progress, while strengthening collaboration between civil society organisations (CSOs) in both communities.
The project’s main goal—to support normalisation and EU integration—aligns with EU enlargement objectives. Specific objectives include facilitating monitoring of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and strengthening collaboration between CSOs, regional stakeholders, and the EU. In achieving specific objectives, project partners will implement a series of different activities which will result in outputs such as a developed monitoring model, enhanced civil society skills, improved cooperation between CSOs in Serbia and Kosovo, and greater awareness of the dialogue among EU institutions.
The initiative is implemented by the European Policy Centre (CEP) in collaboration with Sbunker (Pristina) and Carnegie Endowment (Brussels), which adds significant value by combining regional expertise with international perspectives. During the course of the project, partners will organise a Winter school on enhancing the capacities of civil society to partake in monitoring of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and publish a Shadow Report on the progress in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue with recommendations for improving the normalisation dialogue. The final event of the project will be a round-table held in Brussels, where the Shadow Report and key recommendations for all actors in the normalisation process will be presented.
Contact person: Ljubica Kovačević, project manager, ljubica.kovacevic@cep.org.rs
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