EU in Kosovo calls for swift and full implementation of the Constitution Court judgment on the Deçan/Dečane Monastery land ownership

The EU Ambassador in Kosovo, Tomas Szunyog, called today on Kosovo institutions to swiftly and fully implement the judgment of the Constitutional Court on Deçan/Dečane Monastery land ownership and lawfully register the Monastery as the owner.

“Six years have passed since the Judgment of Kosovo Constitutional Court, and almost ten years since the ruling of the Special Chambers of the Supreme Court of Kosovo Court, confirming the ownership of several disputed hectares of land in Deçan/Dečane municipality by the Monastery,” said Ambassador Szunyog.

“It is now high time for Kosovo institutions to swiftly and fully implement the judgment of the Constitutional Court on Deçan/Dečane Monastery land ownership and lawfully register the land belonging to the Monastery.

“In addition to demonstrating the dedication of Kosovo to the rule of law as one of the guiding principles of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights, the implementation of the judgment would contribute to a much needed inter-community dialogue in Kosovo.”   

The ownership of the land by the Monastery was contested by two socially owned enterprises and Deçan/Dečane Municipality, and both the Specialised Property Panel of the Special Chambers of the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court rejected their claims.

“The years that have passed since the Constitutional Court ruling do not lessen, but rather amplify the need for its implementation and for the application of the principle of legal certainty whereby final judicial decisions are enforced and not questioned. The implementation of the judgment would also contribute to further European integrations and aspirations of Kosovo,” added Szunyog.

The European Union is assisting Kosovo institutions in strengthening the rule of law in line with the Stabilization and Association Agreement and the European Reform Agenda.