Police Integration in North Kosovo: Progress and Remaining Challenges in Implementation of the Brussels Agreement
Police Integration in North Kosovo: Progress and Remaining Challenges in Implementation of the Brussels Agreement

Author(s): Maja Bjeloš, Bojan Elek
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Security and defense, Inter-Ethnic Relations, Penal Policy
Published by: BCBP Beogradski centar za bezbednosnu politiku
Keywords: Northern Kosovo;
Summary/Abstract: This paper presents an alternative analysis of implementation of the Agreement reached in Brussels in April 2013 between the Prime Ministers of Serbia and Kosovo. A key part of the Agreement explicitly stated that local Serbian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) units would be disbanded and integrated into the Kosovo Police (KP). The Brussels Agreement also set an obligation to establish a KP Regional Command North, mandated to cover the four northern municipalities with a Serbian majority. // The findings of this analysis show that by the end of March 2014, 285 former MUP employees had started the integration process. This marked a significant step forward in implementing the Agreement. There were uncertainties and challenges regarding the establishment of the KP Regional Command North, in particular whether the Command should include the four Serbian municipalities in the North alone, or South Mitrovica and Vushtrri / Vučitrn as well. In addition, there were disagreements on the appointment of the Head of the Command, a post currently occupied by acting head Nenad Djurić. Apart from these organizational issues, the main area of dispute concerned the vetting process, which faced criticism due to the limited time available for it and difficulties in applying the generic vetting cycle.

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