Wie beurteilt der Rat die Leistungsbilanz der EU-Rechtsstaatsmission EULEX im Kosovo, insbesondere im Nordkosovo und in Mitrovica, und welche Schritte unternimmt er, um die Arbeit dieser wichtigen Einrichtung zu verbessern?

The present answer, which has been drawn up by the Presidency and is not binding on either the Council or its members as such, was not presented orally at Question Time to the Council during the June 2011 part-session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

On 26 April 2010, the Council noted with satisfaction the results achieved so far by EULEX Kosovo in a difficult environment assisting judicial and law enforcement agencies and in promoting rule of law reforms, including in the prosecution and adjudication of sensitive criminal cases. The Council expressed its support for the mission's approach to intensify its efforts in the fight against organised crime and corruption.

Since reaching its initial operational capability in December 2008, the EULEX mission has significantly contributed to an environment where the Kosovo population is increasingly demanding that nobody should be above the law. By investigating senior ministers, politicians, senior officials, including the Governor of the Central Bank, former KLA Commanders and business men the mission has seriously challenged the perception of impunity.

Several hundreds of investigations are on-going. More than 180 verdicts have already been handed down by EULEX judges in a wide range of cases including corruption and organised crime. Around 1150 hearings have been held and EULEX prosecutors have been involved in more than 1300 cases, including around 50 cases of organised crime and close to a 100 cases on corruption.

The mission has also made significant strides in fighting trafficking of human beings and organs, most concretely through major cases such as the Tisza (smuggling of human beings) and the Medicus case (trafficking of organs).

There are a number of investigations ongoing related to criminal activities in the north. Since EULEX reopened the Mitrovica court in December 2008, after nearly 9 months of closure, international judges and prosecutors, supported by a multi-ethnic team of Kosovo-Serb and Kosovo-Albanian local staff, have completed no less than 35 trials. Criminal acts falling into EULEX’s mandate are properly investigated and adequately adjudicated by a team of EULEX judges and prosecutors even if local judges and prosecutors have not yet returned. A local multi-ethnic inventory team have made great progress in finding, re-arranging and registering thousands of case files.

There is a constant presence of EULEX Customs and Border Police Officers at Gates 31 and 1. Since the deployment of EULEX, smuggling in the north has been reduced by as much as 60%, thus resulting in a real increase in revenues for both Belgrade and Pristina. All data collected at the gates is being shared with both Belgrade and Pristina and registration of people entering is introduced in a centralised data base.

Recently and in line with the priorities of the new Head of Mission, Xavier Bout de Marnhac, the mission has established the Task Force Mitrovica (TFM), a unit of EULEX police and customs investigators and prosecutors. The TFM’s objective is to fight serious crimes using intelligence led policing in order to enhance the rule of law both north and south of the Ibar. The arrest in Zubin Potok on 17 May of a person alledgedly involved in organised crime is a further testimony to EULEX activities.

EULEX activities in the north are also coupled with active public relations, for instance through the launch of anti-drug campaigns.