Strengthening the role of Municipalies in Promotion of EU Rule of Law Values in Kosovo

The European Union’s Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Kosovo, establishes a contractual framework for aligning Kosovo’s legal and administrative systems with EU norms.

Central to this alignment is the rule of law, encompassing legality, equality before the law, transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights. While national institutions lead the integration process, municipalities play a critical role in promoting and implementing these values at the local level, where citizens experience governance directly.

This research explores the extent to which municipalities in Kosovo contribute to advancing EU rule of law principles. It analyzes institutional frameworks, central oversight mechanisms towards municipalities, and municipal performance systems established, alongside municipal practices, challenges, and stakeholder perceptions.

According to the 2024 first semi-annual report on the implementation of EU-related obligations at the local level1, published by the Ministry of Local Government Administration, municipalities have achieved approximately 53% fulfillment of their commitments under the European Agenda that fall within the scope of local governance. Specifically, they have implemented 52% of the planned activities related to political criteria, 36% in the area of economic criteria, and 69% of activities on European standards.

Key findings indicate significant institutional progress. The legality of municipal acts, a core rule of law indicator, has improved, with the proportion of illegal acts dropping from approximately 30% in 2016 to about 1% following reforms and implementation of the Regulation on Administrative Review of Municipal Acts (GRK No.10/2019) and the new Law on Administrative Review of Municipal Acts2. The MLGA’s oversight function, combined with the Municipal Performance Grant (MPG) scheme co-financed by donors such as Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, and the EU, has embedded legal compliance and accountability into municipal performance assessments.

Municipalities are increasingly motivated to improve transparency, accountability, and compliance due to tangible incentives tied to grant eligibility and public recognition. Performance-based competition among municipalities has fostered a positive culture of legality and institutional learning.

Surveys of municipal officials indicate strong awareness, with 75% prioritizing the rule of law and 71% access to justice in daily operations. Key informant interviews validate this, highlighting the MPG’s, judicial reviews and monitoring system “extraordinary impact” on legal compliance. Additionally, while transparency mechanisms are improving, citizen participation and inclusivity, particularly in gender and youth engagement, remain imbalanced.

Despite these achievements, challenges remain. Capacity gaps in municipal legal offices, political interference, and inconsistent coordination between central and local levels undermine the consistent application of the rule of law. Many municipal legal offices operate with limited capacity and depend on external support for complex legal reviews. Coordination between central and local institutions, especially on overlapping competencies such as property management, justice, and procurement, is often fragmented. The 2024 EU Kosovo Report highlights persistent challenges in the relationship between municipalities and central institutions, indicating ongoing issues with coordination and communication between these levels of government3. Furthermore, inter-ethnic relations, gender inclusion, and youth participation are not yet systematically integrated into local governance frameworks. Addressing these gaps is essential for Kosovo’s municipalities to fully embody and promote EU rule of law values.

By advancing these reforms, municipalities will not only strengthen compliance with EU integration benchmarks but also deepen citizen trust, accountability, and democratic governance at the local level.

The report in english can be found here: Jačanje uloge opština u promociji vrednosti vladavine prava Evropske Unije na Kosovu