16/03/2026
Prishtina, 16 March 2026: KCSS has called for closer cooperation between the Kosovo Police and Europol, arguing that existing arrangements no longer reflect the level of operational engagement already taking place.
In a letter sent on Monday to senior officials at the European Commission and Europol, the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies (KCSS) urged the EU to begin steps toward concluding an Operational Agreement with Kosovo Police, which is part of the broader advocacy work by the KCSS on security convergence between WB-EU, in the framework of the IGNITA initiative supported by Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans (OSF-WB). Such an agreement would allow the exchange of personal data in criminal investigations; something not permitted under the current framework.
At present, cooperation between Kosovo Police and Europol is governed by a Working Arrangement signed in 2020, which enables strategic cooperation, participation in Europol’s secure communication system SIENA, and involvement in joint operational actions under the EU’s EMPACT framework. However, it does not allow personal data exchange, a key element of modern cross‑border law‑enforcement cooperation.
KCSS argues that this limitation creates a gap between legal arrangements and operational reality.
According to the organisation, Kosovo Police has significantly increased its engagement with Europol in recent years, including a sharp rise in information exchanges and participation in joint operations targeting organised crime, terrorism, cybercrime, migrant smuggling, and human trafficking. Kosovo remains the only Western Balkan partner without an operational agreement with Europol.
Policy memo outlines options
Alongside the letter, KCSS has published a policy memo analysing why Kosovo remains outside Europol’s operational framework and how cooperation could be upgraded within existing EU law.
The memo, published as aprt of the GAINS project of the #IGNITA initiative supported by the Open Society Foundations – Western Balkans (OSF-WB) notes that EU Regulation 2016/794, as amended in 2022, provides several legal routes for Europol to deepen cooperation with third countries when appropriate safeguards are in place. These include the possibility for Europol’s Management Board to authorise personal data transfers even in the absence of a full EU adequacy decision, provided legal and technical conditions are met.
The analysis also highlights that EU institutions have already acknowledged Kosovo Police’s growing operational role. European Commission reports have documented increased use of Europol tools, deployment of a Kosovo liaison officer to Europol headquarters in The Hague, and participation in multiple EMPACT operational action plans.
“Operational cooperation is already happening,” the memo argues, “but the legal framework has not yet caught up.”
Security and regional coherence
KCSS frames the issue primarily as one of European internal security rather than political symbolism. With Kosovo citizens enjoying visa‑free travel to the Schengen area since January 2024, cross‑border mobility has increased, reinforcing the importance of secure and legally robust information exchange.
The memo also points to regional coherence, noting that all other Western Balkan countries have operational agreements with Europol. Leaving Kosovo outside this framework, it argues, risks creating vulnerabilities that could be exploited by organised criminal networks operating across borders.
At the same time, KCSS acknowledges that further steps are required on Kosovo’s side. In particular, Kosovo still needs to adopt legislation on personal data protection in the law‑enforcement sector aligned with the EU’s Law Enforcement Data Protection Directive. The government has indicated plans to adopt such legislation by October 2026.
Addressing political sensitivities, the policy memo stresses that deeper cooperation with Europol would remain status‑neutral, in line with established EU practice and relevant case law from the Court of Justice of the European Union.
“Upgrading cooperation would not create a new political reality,” the memo concludes. “It would formalise one that already exists.”
Neither the European Commission nor Europol has publicly commented on the letter so far.
