European Auditors Slam EULEX Kosovo Mission

Romanian officers of the EULEX mission in Kosovo (file photo)

BRUSSELS -- The European Court of Auditors is questioning the efficiency of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX.

Their audit found that "overall progress in improving the rule of law is slow, particularly with regard to the fight against organized crime and corruption, above all in the north of Kosovo."

The report states that the failures can be blamed on "the specific circumstances of Kosovo" but also "staffing constraints" and poor management by the European Commission and the European External Action Service.

The Luxembourg auditors recommend that concrete benchmarks to assess progress should be implemented.

It also said that staffing, which currently stands at 2,500, should be raised.

The EULEX mission began in 2008 and since then has received 680 million euros ($850 million) in support from the EU budget.