Pristine - The Head of the EU Office/EU Special Representative Nataliya Apostolova met today with the Assembly Speaker Kadri Veseli and chairs of parliamentary committees to discuss the European Reform Agenda and auditing of political parties\' finances.

They discussed the need to ensure transparency and accountability of political party finances. In particular, the discussion focussed on the issue that political party finances have not been subject to an independent audit nor published, since 2012, as required by the Law on Financing of Political Parties.

The current situation undermines public trust to the detriment of the democratic development of Kosovo.

It was agreed to establish a working group to address this issue immediately. Inter alia, this working group will discuss ways to ensure the necessary budgetary allocation in order to procure external, independent auditors.

Furthermore, they will explore options for amending the current legal framework with a view to enabling its full implementation and enforcement.

Speaker Veseli expressed his commitment to greater transparency towards the public from the institutions as well as from political parties; in the interest of the citizens and a greater public oversight.

Veseli stressed that since 2013 the Assembly has initiated all the necesary procedures, envisaged by the law, to contract an auditing company to audit finances of political parties, but given the lack of offers, all the procedures have failed.

 The Assembly Speaker deemed it necessary to find an urgent solution on this issue, which would enable Kosovo and its political parties to remove this stigma burdening them over all these years.

Veseli assessed that the actual legal basis does not provide for a swift and adequate solution therefore legal amendments are needed to open way for this process. For this Veseli said that there is a broad consensus across the political spectrum and expressed his comitment to make this process succeed.

Speaker Veseli, leader of PDK, committed his party to publish the financial reports since 2012 and stated that as Assembly Speaker he would encourage other political parties to follow suit.

Ms Apostolova welcomed his commitment and offered to equally reach out to other leaders of political parties to ensure that annual financial and campaign disclosure reports are put to full public transparency and scrutiny. In this regard the Central Election Commission should enforce the legal requirements using the options available to it under the law.

All participants agreed that the transparency and integrity of political parties and election processes are of fundamental importance to the credibility and legitimacy of the democratic system of Kosovo, of respect towards its voters and their trust in those that represent them or seek to do so.

Ms Apostolova, reiterating the commitments taken under the European Reform Agenda, stressed that urgent action was necessary by political parties and the Assembly, ahead of the next elections, in order to enable Kosovo citizens an informed democratic choice and promised strong EU support, including legal and policy advice and assistance in this endeavour.