The European Union convened a Roundtable to discuss the progress in Competition policy and State Aid regulation in Kosovo and the future sustainability of achievements with institutional and other stakeholders. Kosovo’s progress in adopting regulations in this field was noted and it commitment was stressed to continue the alignment of Kosovo's legislation with the EU acquis and ensuring effective enforcement in line with the country’s commitments under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) and other treaties with the EU.
The EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Tomáš Szunyog, opened the roundtable discussion with a call for decisive and impactful actions. He expressed gratitude for the initiative taken by the project, highlighting the importance of a comprehensive discussion on the progress achieved over the last five years. "Kosovo should align its legislation with the EU acquis, reinforce its competition policy, and urgently appoint a new State Aid Commission,” stressed Ambassador Szunyog in his opening remarks. He also highlighted that decisions made by the Competition Authority should comply with EU standards.
The Chairperson of the Commission of the Competition Authority Neime Binaku-Isufi said "The authority has benefited greatly from this assistance and for which we are very grateful. This helps us, the Republic of Kosovo, in the agenda for which we have been defined, that of integration into the European Union."
The roundtable took place on 25 January in Pristina and marks the end of a five-year technical support by the EU funded project “Support for the Kosovo Competition Authority and State Aid Commission”. The Project has provided a full-service support for developing both competition policy and State aid regulation in Kosovo – covering new legislation, extensive training, capacity building and support for the necessary degree of awareness-raising.
The Project Team Leader, Dr Eugene Stuart, said: “I think it is fair to say that the Project and its main beneficiaries have set a firm foundation for the success of both the Competition Authority and the State Aid authorities, in the areas for which they are responsible and in the broader context of the compatibility of the efforts of those authorities with required EU standards.”
The Roundtable, which will continue on 26 January provides an opportunity to review the main aspects of the work of the Project over the last 5 years, to suggest priority next steps for Kosovo to embed previous Project support in the work of the Competition Authority and the State Aid authorities, and to discuss future challenges in both sectors.