KCSS/QKSS

📄 New KCSS Policy Brief on WB6 Gradual Integration in EU through FDI Screening #OperationalIntegration KCSS has published a new policy brief examining how the six Western Balkans countries (WB6) can be gradually integrated into the EU’s FDI Screening Contact Points Network and the FDI Screening Expert Group. As the EU strengthens its approach to screening foreign direct investments for security and public‑order risks, the brief argues that early, structured engagement of WB6 institutions with EU mechanisms can support regulatory alignment, institutional learning, and preparedness for future accession. The paper maps the mandate and functioning of both EU bodies and identifies national institutions in each WB6 country that could serve as future contact points, once domestic FDI screening frameworks are established. This publication is part of KCSS’s broader work on operational integration, in the framework of the #IGNITA initiative supported by @OpenSocietyWB qkss.org/al/publikimet/…

🔍 New KCSS Policy Memo on Europol–Kosovo Police Cooperation Today, KCSS published a new policy memo looking at why Kosovo remains outside Europol’s operational framework, despite increasingly intensive cooperation in practice. The memo analyses the current Working Arrangement, outlines options to upgrade cooperation between Kosovo Police and Europol, and argues that formalising operational engagement would strengthen both regional coherence and EU's own internal security. In parallel with this publication, today KCSS also sent an official letter to DG HOME, DG JUST, and Europol, encouraging steps toward stronger and more advanced cooperation between the Kosovo Police and Europol. 👉 lnkd.in/d8ATcjjh This is part of the #OperationalIntegraiton agenda launched by the KCSS (See 👉lnkd.in/dw5GwzK3) in the framework of the #IGNITA initiative supported by the @OpenSocietyWB #Europol #RuleOfLaw #SecurityCooperation #WesternBalkans #EUIntegration #OperationalIntegration qkss.org/en/publikimet/…

🎥 New video from our policy roundtable on Operational Integration Last week, KCSS brought together policymakers, diplomats, and experts in Prishtina to discuss how Kosovo and the Western Balkans can advance practical cooperation with EU security, rule of law, and cybersecurity institutions, in order to strengthen security convergence. The discussion focused on the Operational Integration Agenda, developed under the #IGNITA initiative supported by @OpenSocietyWB exploring concrete entry points for cooperation with EU bodies such as ENISA, Eurojust, EPPO, and others, that would advance gradual integration. ▶️ Watch highlights from the roundtable here: 📍 Prishtina | 🗓 4 March 2026 #IGNITA #OperationalIntegration #EUIntegration #WesternBalkans #Security #RuleOfLaw #Cybersecurity youtube.com/watch?v=MVTFft…

📄 New Policy Brief - Operational Integration in Practice We are pleased to share our latest policy brief, “Kosovo should become an observer member in the European Migration Network (EMN)”, authored by Fisnik Rexhepi and Ramadan Ilazi. The paper is part of KCSS’s broader operational integration agenda, promoted within the framework of the hashtag#IGNITA initiative supported by Open Society Foundations | Western Balkans, which advocates for security convergance of the Western Balkans with the EU through practical and advanced cooperation on a wide range of security related policy areas. Paper argues that Kosovo should become an observer member in the European Migration Network and this would allow the country to strengthen evidence‑based policymaking, align more closely with EU standards in Justice and Home Affairs, and contribute more substantively to EU policy debates through expert‑level cooperation. #Albania, #Montenegro, #NorthMacedonia and #Serbia are already observer members at EMN. Bringing in #Kosovo and #BosniaHerzegovina would be a win-win for both the #EU and the respective countries. #IGNITA #EuropeanIntegration #OperationalIntegration #EU qkss.org/en/publikimet/…

📄 KCSS met yesterday with the Director of the Municipal Directorate of Education in Ferizaj, Mr. Afrim Llabjani, and Mr. Bashkim Bytyci, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipality of Ferizaj. The cooperation is part of the project “A Generation at Risk,” implemented with IDM Albania, aiming to strengthen school safety through evidence-based research. Funded by Open Society Foundations Western Balkans.

🤝 Strengthening School Safety in Lipjan KCSS held a meeting with the Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Lipjan, Mr. Diamant Bytyqi, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipality of Lipjan. The cooperation is part of the project “A Generation at Risk,” implemented in partnership with @IDM_Albania and focusing on research-based approaches to prevent youth violence and strengthen school safety. 📌 Funded by @OpenSocietyWB #SchoolSafety #YouthProtection #Education #Lipjan #KCSS

Yesterday we hosted a policy roundtable on “operational integration”—a pragmatic approach to strengthening EU–Western Balkans security convergence through concrete cooperation in areas such as security, rule of law, and cybersecurity. This is part of the #IGNITA initiative, supported by the @OpenSocietyWB. We were honoured to be joined by H.E. Rainer Rudolph, German Ambassador to Kosovo; Eva Palatova, Deputy Head of the EU Office in Kosovo @EUKosovo ; and Rudina Nallbani (Friedrich‑Ebert‑Stiftung). The discussion was opened by Mentor Vrajolli, featured a presentation of the Operational Integration Agenda by Ramadan Ilazi, and was moderated by Jeta Loshaj, bringing together policymakers, diplomats, and civil society experts. Three key messages emerged from the discussion: 1️⃣ Operational integration is a practical bridge and it is about what can be done now. It enables Western Balkan public institutions to participate in the EU’s day‑to‑day work and operational routines before accession, through mechanisms such as observer participation (e.g. ENISA), advanced working arrangements with EU bodies (e.g. ENISA, Eurojust, EPPO), structured information‑sharing, and joint training and coordination. 2️⃣ It is mutually beneficial. Stronger institutions in the region contribute directly to greater resilience for the EU. The roundtable emphasized cooperation on shared risk areas—including cybersecurity, FDI screening, and disinformation/foreign interference—where practical operational links can deliver tangible results for both sides. 3️⃣ Momentum matters and enlargement must remain inclusive. When discussing the accession process, attention should not be limited to the two frontrunners alone. Phased and gradual integration fits the renewed enlargement momentum, and there are already EU tools and frameworks that can support deeper engagement with the remaining four countries, including under the Reform and Growth Plan (e.g. SEPA and Digital Single Market integration). See our two recent papers on this: 1 -Operational Integration Agenda: qkss.org/al/publikimet/…… 2 - Policy brief on cybersecurity, FDI screening and rule of law: qkss.org/en/publikimet/……

Every Western Balkan state has a “China story.” Kosovo has not—at least not yet. With Kosovo’s imports from China reaching around €900 million in 2025, our latest KCSS discussion paper by @Danlazi examines whether this growing trade footprint could signal a move toward potential supply‑chain dependency on China, and why this trajectory may raise security‑related concerns over time. qkss.org/en/publikimet/…

📄 KCSS signs a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipal Directorate of Education – Podujeve, represented by Director Avni Fetahu. The cooperation is part of the project “A Generation at Risk,” implemented with IDM Albania, aiming to strengthen school safety through evidence-based research. Funded by Open Society Foundations Western Balkans.

📘 New KCSS Publication 🇽🇰🇹🇷 “Deconstructing Kosovo’s Relations with Türkiye – Between Reality and Expectations” Key findings: 🇽🇰🇹🇷 Complementarity of Neo‑Ottoman soft power → with security‑focused Erdoganism 🛡 Türkiye now central in KSF modernization & led KFOR in 2023 & 2025 📊 91% of Kosovars view Türkiye positively, but strategy stays Euro‑Atlantic 🏛 KCSS calls for institutional, transparent, NATO‑compatible ties 🔎Author: @AsllanZenunaj 👉Download the full paper here: qkss.org/en/publikimet/… #KCSS #Kosovo #Türkiye #Security #Softpower #Geopolitics

On Friday, 27 February 2026 (14:00–15:30 CET), we are hosting a regional Webinar on “Opportunities and Challenges for EU–Western Balkans Security Cooperation”, organised under the #IGNITAinitiative and supported by @OpenSocietyWB building on the Operational Integration Agenda recently published by KCSS 👉 lnkd.in/dAsZ7MzW We will look at: – where EU–WB6 security cooperation actually stands today – what still blocks participation of WB6 in different EU security, justice, cyber, and rule-of-law mechanisms – realistic entry points for operational integration with bodies such as European Union Agency for Cybersecurity, Eurojust, European Public Prosecutor’s Office, European Defense Agency (EDA), and European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights – and how the region can contribute—not just adapt—to Europe’s evolving security architecture, including debates around ReArm Europe 2030. We are honored to have a sharp panel of colleagues who work on these issues daily: Bojana Zoric, PhD Zorić (European Union Institute for Security Studies), Marko Savkovic, PhDć (ISAC Fund), Iliriana Gjoni (Carnegie Europe), Misha Popovikj (Institute for Democracy Societas Civilis Skopje - IDSCS), Ledia Canga (Autoriteti Kombëtar për Sigurinë Kibernetike / National Cyber Security Authority) and our own Ramadan Ilazi. If you care about how the Western Balkans can/should/ plug into EU’s security system in practice—not just on paper—this one is for you. 💥 Register here 💥 👉 lnkd.in/dcE3r-tP #WesternBalkans #EUintegration #SecurityCooperation #Cybersecurity #RuleOfLaw #OperationalIntegration #IGNITA

She also stressed that offline strategies matter. Online extremism tends to thrive in contexts where local journalism is weak, community ties are fragile, and policy responses have fallen short.

@Becky_Slack , Co-Director of Agenda, brought in the communications perspective, focusing on the role of strategic messaging in tackling online extremism. While fact-checking remains an important tool, she noted that its impact is often limited. In today’s digital environment, emotionally resonant content tends to be more persuasive than factual corrections, and cross-checking information can be time-consuming and ineffective at scale.

The last panel of the #SmidgeConference, moderated by @MentorV (@KCSSQKSS), brings together policymakers, journalists, platform experts and civil society representatives to translate research findings into actionable policy and governance responses. Discussions focus on strengthening digital resilience, addressing online harms, and aligning research evidence with EU policy and platform accountability. #SmidgeProject #InvisibleMiddle #OnlineNarratives

KCSS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Municipal Directorate of Education – Prishtina under the project “A Generation at Risk: Addressing Youth Violence and Strengthening School Safety through Research and Informed Reform,” establishing institutional cooperation to strengthen school safety and prevent youth violence through research-informed reform. @KPrishtines

“We welcome the proposed amendments to the European Commission’s 2025 Rule of Law report by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, which reflect core recommendations that we have consistently advanced over the past two years in the framework of the IGNITA Initiative with the Open Society Foundations  - Western Balkans. In particular, the amendments: Call on the European Commission to extend the geographical scope of the Rule of Law Report to all enlargement countries, ensuring equal treatment and restoring credibility to the enlargement process and Urge the EU and enlargement partners to establish structured cooperation frameworks with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), strengthening the fight against corruption and misuse of EU funds beyond the Union’s borders. These steps directly align with KCSS and IGNITA advocacy on operational integration to moeenlargement to concrete institutional and meaningful participation in EU’s mechanisms and ecosystem on security, rule-of-law, cybersecurity and other policy areas. This is how evidence-based civil society engagement should work, whereby ideas put forward, taken seriously, and reflected in policy. KCSS will continue pushing for a merit-based, and security-driven operational integration process for the WB6 that works for both the EU and our region.”

📌Our newest policy 📑, “An Operational Integration Agenda for the Western Balkans,” makes the case for participation before membership - through structured, merit-based engagement of WB institutions in 🇪🇺 security, rule of law. Read more👉qkss.org/en/publikimet/…