The European Union takes note of the regulation by the Central Bank of Kosovo, which is set to enter into force today. The regulation aims to enhance the transparency of financial flows, to ensure financial stability and to combat money laundering and counterfeiting.

The EU notes that the regulation will also affect the financial support that Kosovo Serbs receive from Serbia. The EU is concerned about the consequences that this decision might have on the daily lives of Kosovo Serbs and other communities throughout Kosovo due to absence of prior consultation, in particular on its impact on schools and hospitals, given the apparent absence of alternatives at this moment.

The short transition period for the regulation’s implementation, combined with a lack of information and practical solutions for all affected communities, risk seriously complicating their lives.

The EU urges Kosovo to ensure a sufficiently long transition period and to find a negotiated solution to this issue in the framework of the EU-facilitated Dialogue.