On February 1, Group for Legal and Political Studies (GLPS), GAP Institute and Prishtina Institute for Political Studies (PIPS) held a Press Conference to present the findings from a year long period of a systematic monitoring of the implementation of the European Reform Agenda (ERA) and the progress that Kosovo institutions have achieved in implementing the objectives deriving from this strategic document for year 2018. The monitoring process covers all three pillars set with ERA: (I) Good Governance and Rule of Law, (II) Competitiveness and Investment Climate, and (III) Investment Climate, and Employment and Education. The data deriving from the monitoring period shows that under each pillar of ERA, there are some actions that still remain unfulfilled and there is a low progress shown so far in their implementation. More specifically, ERA sets 29 measures with 108 respective actions, of which about 63% are fully completed, 19% are partially completed, and 18% remain unfulfilled.

In the first pillar, Good Governance and Rule of Law, 73% of actions are completed, 16% are partially completed and 11% remain unfulfilled. Some of the shortcomings in this area are the adoption of legislation by making mandatory suspension and / or removal of public officials, respectively the defendants and convicts for corruption; preparation of a legal package for electoral reform; preparation of the Law on Financing of Political Parties; completion of the finance audit for political parties; implementation of the Plan for the rationalization of independent agencies and central bodies within the Government, among others. In addition, in the second pillar, Competitiveness and Investment Climate, 57% of actions are completed, 23% are partially completed and 20% are incomplete. Worth mentioning is the adoption of the Law on Energy Efficiency and the approval of fund board although the functionality of the latter is yet to be functionalized. And for the third pillar, Employment and Education, 59% of actions are completed, 19% are partially completed and 22% are incomplete. Among the achievements, it is important to mention that the Action Plans for Employment and Social Policies and Youth Employment were completed by the end of 2018 with regard to the Employment field, the two measures identified were met in precision. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare has completed all the necessary tasks in relation to the ERA. Further, due to the many challenges, there will be no establishment of the Curriculum, Standard and Action Agency, but the division for standard assessment and monitoring will be strengthened. Consequently, with the EU recommendation, this move will be removed from the ERA criteria list.

Venue: Group for Legal and Political Studies Office (str. Rexhep Luci, 16/1, 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo)