The Association of Serb municipalities

The agreement has not yet begun to be implemented

The main part of the First Agreement on Principles Regulating the Normalization of Relations (the Brussels Agreement) is dedicated to the establishment of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities (ASM).

The Agreement envisaged the establishment of the Community/Association of Municipalities with Majority Serb Population in Kosovo – Northern Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Zvečan, Leposavić, Gračanica, Štrpce, Novo Brdo, Klokot, Ranilug and Parteš.

The idea of the Brussels Agreement, in particular of the ASM, is to facilitate the full integration of Kosovar Serbs (from the four Northern municipalities) into Kosovo’s system, as well as that of the institutions functioning within the Serbian system, including educational and health care institutions.

In accordance with the competences endowed by the European Charter of Local Self-Government and with Kosovo’s legislation, the participating municipalities shall be entitled to cooperation in collective execution of powers through the Community/Association, which shall have oversight of the areas of economic development, education, health care, town planning and rural development. This community shall be established pursuant to its Statute.

In August 2015, Kosovo and Serbia reached the Agreement on General Principles/Main Elements of the ASM defining the goals, organizational set-up, relations with the central authorities, legal capacities, budget and support to the ASM.

The support to this Agreement was lacked in Kosovo; it was criticized by the opposition and the public, causing crisis and massive protests. The petition against this agreement launched by the opposition was signed by 200,000 citizens.

In such an atmosphere, the President of Kosovo asked the Constitutional Court on 31 October 2015 to assess the constitutionality of the ASM’s general principles.

Although the court deemed constitutional the ASM’s establishment in keeping with the First Agreement on Normalization of Relations, ratified by the Parliament of Kosovo, it assessed its certain provisions from 2015 as non-constitutional:
The goals, organizational set-up, budget, financial support and general provisions are beyond the framework of Kosovo’s Constitution in the area of local self-government;
The right to legislative initiative envisaged also for the ASM under the 2015 Agreement belongs solely to Kosovo’s President, Government, Members of Parliament or a minimum of ten thousand citizens.
The Constitutional Court also deemed that the ANM could not be conferred exclusive powers to represent the interests of the Serbian community in Kosovo and in relations to the central authorities.

Following this decision, the implementation of the Agreement became impossible, given the unwillingness of both parties to agree to further compromises.

While Priština is insisting on the implementation of the 2013 Agreement, not envisaging any exeutive powers for the ASM, Belgrade would accept only the establishment of the ASM in accordance with the Agreement on General Principles/Key Elements as agreed in Brussels in 2015.

In April 2018, the European Union confirmed the mandate of the ASM managerial team tasked with drafting the Association’s statute, however, although the Serb party claims the statute developed, it has not been presented to the EU or the public in Serbia or Kosovo to date.

North Mitrovica

North Mitrovica is located in northern Kosovo. There are no official data on the population, since the census was not conducted in 2011. According to the latest estimates, it has approximately 29,460 inhabitants.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 22,530
  • Kosovo Albanians – 4,900
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 1,000
  • Goranci – 580
  • Turks – 210
  • Roma – 200
  • Kosovo Ashkali – 40

Zubin Potok

It covers an area of approximately 333 km² and includes the City of Zubin Potok and 63 villages. There are no official data on the population, since the census was not conducted in 2011. According to the head of the general administration, the total population is estimated at 15,200.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 13,900
  • Kosovo Albanians – 1,300

Zvečan

The municipality of Zvečan covers an area of approximately 122 km² and includes the town of Zvečan and 35 villages. There are no official data on the population, since the census was not conducted in 2011. According to the latest unofficial information, the total population is estimated at 16,800. (Source eopstinazvecan.com).

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 16,000
  • Kosovo Albanians – 500
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 300

Leposavic

The municipality of Leposavic covers an area of approximately 750 km2 and includes the town of Leposavic and 72 villages. There are no official data on the population, since the census was not conducted in 2011. According to the municipal administration, the total population is estimated at 18,635.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 18,000
  • Kosovo Albanians – 270
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 350
  • Roma – 12
  • Kosovo Ashkali

Gracanica

The municipality of Gracanica covers an area of approximately 131 km2 and includes the town of Gracanica and 16 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the total population is 10,675.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 7,209
  • Kosovo Albanians – 2,474
  • Roma – 745
  • Kosovo Ashkali – 104
  • Goranci – 22
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 15
  • Egyptians – 3
  • Others – 45
  • Not specified – 43

Strpce

The municipality of Štrpce covers an area of approximately 247 km² and includes the town of Štrpce and 16 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the total population is 6,949.

Note: Although these assessments indicate that Serbs are not majority in this municipality, according to the manner of electing citizens’ representatives in the municipalities of Kosovo, there is a high probability that these assessments are not closer to reality, but that Serbs are majority in these municipalities. According to the data available on the website of the municipality.

The Mayor and Parliament Speaker are members of the Kosovo Serbs. The ratio in the Parliament is 10 to 4 out of 14 MPs.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Albanians – 3,757
  • Kosovo Serbs – 3,148
  • Roma – 24
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 2
  • Kosovo Ashkali – 1
  • Others – 7
  • Not specified – 10

Klokot

Zajednica srpskih opstina - Klokot

The municipality of Klokot covers an area of approximately 24 km² and includes the city of Klokot and 3 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Statistics Agency, the total population is 2,556.

Note: Although these assessments indicate that Serbs are not majority in this municipality, according to the manner of electing citizens’ representatives in the municipalities of Kosovo, there is a high probability that these assessments are not closer to reality, but that Serbs are majority in these municipalities. According to the data available on the website of the municipality.

The Mayor and Parliament Speaker are members of the Kosovo Serbs. The ratio in the Parliament is 10 to 5 out of 15 MPs.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Albanians – 1,362
  • Kosovo Serbs – 1,177
  • Roma – 9
  • Turks – 1
  • Others – 6
  • Not specified – 1

Novo Brdo

Zajednica srpskih opstina - Novo Brdo

The municipality of Novo Brdo covers an area of approximately 204 km2 and includes the town of Novo Brdo and 24 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the total population is 6,729.

Note: Although these assessments indicate that Serbs are not majority in this municipality, according to the manner of electing citizens’ representatives in the municipalities of Kosovo, there is a high probability that these assessments are not closer to reality, but that Serbs are majority in these municipalities. According to the data available on the website of the municipality.

The Mayor and Parliament Speaker are members of the Kosovo Serbs. The ratio in the Parliament is 9 to 6 out of 15 MPs.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Albanians – 3,524
  • Kosovo Serbs – 3,122
  • Roma – 63
  • Turks – 7
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 5
  • Kosovo Ashkali – 3
  • Others – 2
  • Not specified – 3

Ranilug

Zajednica srpskih opstina - Ranilug

The municipality of Ranilug covers an area of approximately 77.6 km2 and includes the city of Ranilug and 12 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the total population is 3,866.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 3,692
  • Kosovo Albanians – 164
  • Kosovo Bosniaks – 1
  • Others – 3
  • Not specified – 6

Parteš

Zajednica srpskih opstina - Partes

The municipality of Partesh covers an area of approximately 18.3 km2 and includes the town of Partesh and 2 villages. According to the 2011 Kosovo Agency of Statistics, the total population is 1,787.

Ethnic composition

  • Kosovo Serbs – 1,785
  • Others – 2