EULEX representatives on Friday handed over 383 certified copies of original civil and religious registry books related to birth, marriage and death covering the matriculation territories of Leposaviq/Leposavić, Soçanicë/Sočanica, Vraqevë/Vračevo, Leshak/Lešak, Bistricë/Bistrica and Bellobërdë/Belo Brdo for the Leposaviq/Leposavić municipality to the Civil Registration Agency.

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The copies have been produced and certified during the last month as an outcome of an EU funded project based in Nis, Serbia. This joint project involves EULEX, the EU Office in Kosovo/EUSR, the Danish Refugee Council in the capacity of implementing partner and teams of public servants from both Kosovo and Serbia.

It is estimated that approximately 12,036 original civil registry books will pass through this project. The process of certifying copies of the original civil and religious registry books is direct result from the dialogue agreement facilitated by the EU and reached on 2 July 2011 between Pristina and Belgrade. The project in Nis sets up the first phase of establishing reliable and sustainable Civil Registry in Kosovo, which is an important parameter from the road map on Visa Liberalization.

To date EULEX has handed over to the Kosovo authorities 10,913 copies of CRBs covering 20 municipalities. This represents more than two-thirds of the total number of books estimated to be in Serbia. After the certified books are handed over to the Civil Registration Agency they are hardcover bound in Pristina at the offices of the Department of Production of Documents. The binding is funded by the EU Office. Following the binding the books are handed over to the local municipal authorities for everyday use in the respective municipal civil status offices. The process of using certified copies on daily basis is followed-up by EULEX.