National publication - Citizens Shaping Kosovo’s Future: Rule of Law, EU Intregration and Environment

The European project Reinventing Engagement through Affirmative Citizen Consultations (REACH) is an initiative that promotes a culture of democracy through meaningful citizen participation in the debate on the most important European policy issues. In a context of growing distrust in many societies and limited opportunities for public participation, REACH is an initiative that allows citizens to participate in inclusive debates on subjects that directly impact their daily lives and their future. The three cross-cutting themes of the project: the rule of law, the environment and EU integration, are in constant debate, and with this action, citizens are given the opportunity to reflect, participate and offer concrete proposals to decision-makers, at both national and European level. The project is carried out between July 2024 and December 2025 and is co-funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). It is implemented by a consortium of eight organizations: European Policy Centre (CEP) as coordinator, European Policy Centre (EPC, Brussels), Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS), Foreign Policy Initiative BH (FPI BH), Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Notre Europe Institut Jacques Delors (NE IJD), Association for Civil Society Development SMART, and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).

Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) has led the implementation of REACH in Kosovo through a series of citizen consultations. In these, citizens were invited to deliberate on the three main focus areas of REACH alongside subject-matter experts to reflect on the most pressing issues in governance and development, producing specific policy recommendations that could be of use to policymakers. This exercise was done through two local consultations, one in Prishtina and another in Gjakova, and through a national consultation in Prishtina, where the topics and the policy recommendations of the local consultations were combined and summarised into 10 concrete policy proposals. This consultative process gathered in total 99 citizens took part, 35 experts and 64 citizens. In all three consultations, Kosovar citizens from all walks of life, including young people, students, professionals, activists and civil society representatives, had the opportunity to deliberate on the issues of the rule of law, EU integration, and the environment, in the company of experts in the field of rule of law and judicial reform, EU integration, and environmental governance and sustainability. In this way, the process of developing policy recommendations ensured both technical expertise and valuable citizen input.

Focusing on the rule of law, EU integration, and the environment was of great importance to Kosovo.1 In the three consultations conducted, it was a recurrent theme, and it was of major concern to all citizens that rule of law be established in Kosovo, with citizens from Prishtina voicing their main concern in relation to the rule of law by stating “justice is often delayed to the point where it no longer feels like justice at all”. Furthermore, the citizens from Gjakova underlined that “judicial independence is critical, without it trust in any reform will remain fragile.” In the same manner, the EU integration of Kosovo was treated as a strategic choice, but also as a process that may have its challenges, with the citizens emphasizing their optimism in the prospect of EU membership, but also the scepticism they had with regards to whether the institutions are ready to take up the challenge and reform as needed. Environmental issues have been at the forefront of public discussion both in Prishtina and Gjakova, and this was also reflected in the national consultation, where Kosovar citizens, and especially young environmental activists, noted their pressing concerns about air and water quality, solid waste management, and the need to transition to renewable energy. As underlined by one young environmental activist in Kosovo, “the environment cannot be treated as a secondary issue, it is about our health and our future.”

The process of citizen consultations implemented under REACH has been of value to Kosovo not only for the valuable policy recommendations that came as a result, but also for the fact that citizens were given a platform to become active contributors to the debates on national priorities. In a context where trust in the institutions is rather low, opening up a space for citizens to deliberate in an organized, inclusive and constructive manner, with both other citizens, and experts and civil society representatives, had a transparent and collaborative element that helped create trust, understanding, and a sense of shared responsibility for the reforms and progress. This process also had an impact in strengthening civic awareness, and the value of citizens’ participation, and showed that policy making can be done in a better, more informed manner, when citizens’ input is taken into account. REACH in Kosovo has connected local citizen experience and national level deliberation and shown that citizens can and do have the willingness and capacity to come up with concrete and meaningful recommendations, which help address structural problems, while keeping in mind Kosovo’s European perspective.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.