Serb Community Outlook on Privatization in Kosovo

Besides the traditional challenges following every privatization of state and socially owned enterprises and property in transitional economies, this process in Kosovo faced additional hardships, reflected in an ambiguous legal framework, issues in establishing the ownership over the property of enterprises subject to privatization, but also many other situations exclusive to Kosovo. UNMIK Mission in Kosovo was established following the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244/1999, and it took upon itself to build the legal system and institutions, as well as to manage public, state and socially owned property of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Republic of Serbia. All these years, but also after the unilateral declaration of Kosovo independence, privatization has been one of the most controversial public policies in this area, against which legal disagreements and different interests collided, influencing the deepening of mistrust in relations between the Serb community and Kosovo institutions. This paper provides a historical overview of the legal and institutional instruments for privatization in Kosovo before and after the declaration of independence, as well as the repercussions of this process in Serb areas. It should also be noted that this analysis is one of the few publications on the subject of privatization in Serb areas in Kosovo. Lack of similar publications, among others, is directly related to the issue of availability of publically accessible information, necessary to develop a comprehensive study that would do justice to this topic.