From 16^th to 19^th June 2025, EU Member States’ representatives to the Brussels-based Committee for Civilian Aspects of Crisis Management (CivCom), together with officials from the European External Action Service visited the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX).

During their stay, the delegation heard directly from a wide range of interlocutors—both within EULEX and among Mission partners in Kosovo, gaining in-depth insights into the Mission structure, mandate implementation, as well as the security situation and the state of the rule of law in Kosovo.

Upon their arrival in Pristina, the delegates were welcomed by the EULEX Head of Mission, Giovanni Pietro Barbano, who presented the complex operational backdrop against which the Mission works, highlighting EULEX’s priorities and challenges, which demand a Mission that is agile and responsive, always grounded in the reality in theater to be in a position to deliver a positive impact on Kosovo institutions and population.

Addressing the EU Members States’ representatives, Barbano stated: “Your presence here allows us to reflect together on how we can continue to respond to these challenges with clarity, consistency, and commitment to the rule of law. Your continued trust and support are not only appreciated, they are essential to our ability to adapt and deliver in a dynamic and often challenging environment.

The first day kicked off with a comprehensive briefing from the Head of the Monitoring Pillar, Giovanni Galzignato, who highlighted the Mission’s commitment to conducting an impartial and robust monitoring of selected rule of law institutions.

The Chief of EULEX Correctional Unit, Anu Melkko, presented EULEX’s monitoring, mentoring and advising activities aiming at supporting both the Kosovo Correctional Service (KCS) and the Kosovo Probation Service (KPS) in, respectively, providing rehabilitation of prisoners and countering undue interference and preferential treatment of prisoners, and in developing a structured approach to the rehabilitation of probationers with a focus on the prevention of re-offending.

The Chief of the Case Monitoring Unit, Hubert van Eck Koster explained the role of EULEX in monitoring selected cases from entire justice chain, as well as past reporting activities.

Participants also received a briefing about the work done by Senior Police Advisers North in promoting community-policing efforts for the benefit of all communities.

The first day continued with presentations from the Deputy Head of Mission, Emily Rakhorst, and by the Head of the Operations Support Pillar Carlos Pereira on the various tasks performed by the Mission at operational level, including the support to stability and security in Kosovo and in the field of International Police Cooperation.

A dedicated session by the Forensic Archaeologist Johan Rodriguez gave an in depth update on the work of EULEX Forensic Medicine Team in supporting their counterparts at the Institute of Forensic Medicine and other relevant institutions to shed light on the fate of missing persons related to the Kosovo conflict, regardless of the circumstances of their disappearance, their ethnic, religious or national origin, or any other characteristic.

The delegation had the opportunity to meet with the Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Enrico Barduani, with whom they discussed the current security situation, learning how EULEX and KFOR coordinate—especially in scenarios involving crowd and riot control, in line with the security responder mechanism.

The Mission Spokesperson and Head of Press and Public Information Office, Nicole Miller, offered insights into EULEX’s strategic public communication efforts, and the Head of the Mission Support Department, Sean Kernis briefed the visitors on the Mission’s logistical and infrastructure efforts, including our recently completed solar panel project.

The first day concluded with a reception hosted by the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, where the participants had the opportunity to engage with representatives from the EU Family in Kosovo.

The second day started with the EU Special Representative and Head of the EU Office in Kosovo Aivo Orav, who welcomed the delegation at the EU Office, where they also received a political briefing on the current situation in Kosovo.

This was followed by a poignant visit to the Documentation Centre Kosovo managed by the NGO Humanitarian Law Centre Kosovo: a space dedicated to preserving the memory of all victims of conflict- related human rights violations and promoting transitional justice.

Hosted by the Director of Humanitarian Law Center Bekim Blakaj, they learned about a powerful and moving space that speaks to the importance of accountability and remembrance to avoid the recurrence of human rights violations and war crimes.

During the afternoon, the delegates were briefed by the Head of the Human Resources Division, Anita Janassary.

The final day of the visit saw the CivCom delegation move to the EULEX Center Mitrovica, where they received a thorough security briefing, and in the presence of KFOR Commander Major General Barduani, were given the opportunity to observe a joint crowd and riot exercise conducted by the EULEX Formed Police Unit and their KFOR counterparts

The day continued with a briefing in Mitrovica North by EULEX’s Coordinator North Arno van der Paas.

While in northern Kosovo, the Head of Mission Govanni Pietro Barbano accompanied the Lithuanian and Latvian members of the delegation to pay respect to the memory and sacrifice of the late Mission Member, Lithuanian Customs Officer Audrius Šenavičius, who was tragically murdered in the line of duty in 2013.

Throughout the course of the visit CivCom delegates had the opportunity to engage with a number of local partners and interlocutors from justice and rule of law institutions, exchanging notes on current challenges and developments.

The official 3-day programme concluded with a debrief by EULEX Head of Mission, who thanked all delegates for their participation and support.