The Office of the European Union in Pristina has justified the request not to approve the Law on the Mediterranean Games, as it was sponsored by the Government. This was not taken into account by Speaker Albulena Haxhiu, during the decision-making in the Assembly. And, in the EU, they justified the request.
The European Union has expressed the position that it shares common aspirations with the citizens of Kosovo, in response to the statement of the Speaker of the Assembly, Albulena Haxhiu, who in Thursday’s session, where the Law on the Mediterranean Games was approved, said that she takes into account the citizens’ interest more than the concerns of the EU regarding this document.
The EU Office in Kosovo, through a letter sent on Wednesday to the Speaker of the Assembly, has expressed concern that the adoption of the Law as such risks increasing the vulnerability to corruption.
And, in an answer that this Office gave to TIME, it is said that they have the same goal as the citizens, which is: the integration of Kosovo into the EU. According to this office, this is also a function of advising on laws in accordance with EU rules.
“We also do this by advising the Kosovo institutions on how to align Kosovo’s legislation with the EU acquis. As you know, the EU is Kosovo’s strongest and most reliable partner and the largest provider of financial assistance, and we are here to help Kosovo continue to progress towards the EU,” said the EU Office in Kosovo.
In the letter sent to Haxhiu, the EU has emphasized that it is worrying that for the investments worth 254 million euros for the organization of the Mediterranean Games, special rules will be applied that bypass the Law on Public Procurement.
“The Organizing Committee of the Mediterranean Games (OCMG), as envisaged in the draft law, appears to be unrelated to existing public procurement laws, but instead, is envisaged to establish its own procurement rules based on vague principles”.
The law provides that the Organizing Committee issues regulations regarding procurement.
Representatives of the ruling party said in the session that the approval of this law in its current form was due to delays and the risk of the Assembly being dissolved.
However, Kosovo received the green light for organizing these games 2 years and 7 months ago.
With an accelerated procedure, the parliamentary majority led by Vetëvendosja approved the law in the Assembly in the last session of the eighth legislature, 1 year and 3 months later.
The approved law was challenged in the Constitutional Court by the PDK and after one year and 1 month the Court declared the approval procedure unconstitutional.
Vetëvendosja blamed PDK for the criticism of delays. The Ministry of Sports and the municipalities.
But even now, the Government forwarded the bill to the Assembly two months after its formation.
The Foreign Policy expert, Donika Emini, says that if Kosovo jeopardizes the organization of these games due to political blockades, it would be a big failure in the international image.
“The fact that not only because of the political crisis but also the frictions that we constantly see between the central and local levels could have a detrimental effect on the organization and preparation of Kosovo in this regard. It would therefore be a very bad image for Kosovo. And it would reflect what everyone in the region has constantly tried to portray Kosovo as a country that has fundamental problems of functioning”, said Emini.
Prishtina will host the 2030 Mediterranean Games, in which 26 countries from three continents are expected to participate.
