TIRANA, December 15 – The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, submitted on Thursday Kosovo’s application for membership in the European Union to the Czech Republic, which currently leads the Presidency of the EU.
He was received there by the Czech Foreign Minister, Mikuláš Bek.
The three heads of state of Kosovo, President Osmani, Speaker Konjufca and Prime Minister Kurti signed the application documentation in a ceremony in Pristina on Wednesday. They described it as a historic day and an important step for Kosovo towards its European integration.
Until membership there are three more steps: candidate status, membership negotiations and treaty ratification.
Candidate status means formal acceptance of a country’s application. This status is granted by unanimous decision of the European Council. From the time of application to candidate country status, several years may pass.
Membership negotiations are the second step. They start only after the candidate country fulfills the political criteria and this can take several years. These negotiations focus on aligning the candidate country’s laws with EU laws. They include 35 chapters and are the longest stage in the EU membership process.
Ratification treaty: After the 35 chapters are unanimously closed, the EU and the candidate country sign the accession treaty. It must then be ratified by the candidate country and each EU country. And finally, the official date of membership is set when the country becomes a member with equal rights of the EU. /Argumentum.al
