EU to Examine Whether Serbia is ‘Deleting’ Ethnic Albanian Addresses

The European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution to amend the EU report on Serbia and investigate claims that Serbia has been classifying as "inactive" the addresses of mainly ethnic Albanians deemed no longer to be living at these addresses.

In a joint press conference on Thursday, the Standing Rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimir Bilcik, and his Kosovo counterpart, Viola von Cramon-Taubadel, said the "EU will look much deeper and deal with this", but when asked by BIRN on the exact steps to be taken, added that the EU "needs more time to collect empirical data on the issue from the region".

"It is something we should deal with at the European Commission and Council," von Cramon said, adding that the probe would check "what resolutions and international treaties are binding on Serbia to interrupt this process".

Bilcik added: "It is important to regulate the status of all people living in these territories," hinting that the issue might be included in the EU-led Kosovo-Serbia dialogue on normalisation of relations.

BIRN reported earlier that experts and citizens have voiced claims that the Serbian authorities are quietly classifying as "inactive" the addresses of ethnic Albanians who live and work periodically in the region or Western Europe - without the subjects being informed.

Analysis of voter data and the statements of political and civil society representatives indicate that this may have affected several thousand ethnic Albanian citizens in Serbia's southern Presevo Valley area.

These people risk losing fundamental rights if their addresses are officially classified inactive.

Experts and ethnic Albanian politicians say the practice is a violation of human rights and is artificially altering the area's...