Kosovo International Supervision 'to End in 2012'

Kosovo looks set to free itself of international supervision by the end of 2012, according to a well-placed source.

Pieter Feith, International Civilian Representative in Kosov

Balkan Insight understands that the International Civilian Office, ICO, set up by 25 backers of Kosovo’s independence in order to guide the country through its first years, is scheduled to shut operations by the end of next year.

It has already closed its economic department and a number of regional offices.

The International Steering Group, the body set up to manage the ICO, met last week to decide the future of the office.

According to a well-placed source, Kosovo’s backers have agreed that the ICO’s current head, Pieter Feith, should see the office through to its conclusion in 2012. A final decision will be taken at the beginning of next year.

Andy McGuffie, Spokesperson for the ICO, said he could not provide a specific timeline, but said the ISG had authorised the ICO to begin winding down its presence.

“The International Steering Group has authorised the ICO, working together with the Kosovo Government, to start to prepare for its closure,” he said.

“However, as the Prime Minister [Hashim Thaci] said after the last meeting with the ISG, there will be no arbitrary timeline.”

One of the key stumbling blocks for the ICO has been the roll-out of the decentralisation process in the Serb-controlled north of the country.

As part of ICO’s implementation of the Ahtisaari Package, the blueprint for Kosovo’s independence, it is supposed to create a new municipality in the northern, Serb-majority part of the town of Mitrovica.

“In Northern Mitrovica, we are supporting a municipal team to prepare a municipal... budget and municipal status. We’re helping them in their engagement in capital investments and public outreach," McGuffie said.

“And of course a precondition for progress in Northern Kosovo is enforcement of rule of law.”