From Diplomacy to Conditionality: The Kosovo–Serbia Dialogue as a benchmark in EU Enlargement

Our paper examines the shift of Kosovo-Serbia Dialogue from a diplomatic initiative into a conditionality benchmark in light of the EU’s enlargement framework. Existing studies discuss the political process of the Dialogue in terms of conflict resolution, regional stability and EU diplomacy, but do not delve into the transformation of diplomatic commitments into legally framed benchmarks for accession. Our contribution fills that research gap. It traces back the Dialogue’s transformation through key agreements (from the 2013 Brussels Agreement to the 2023 Ohrid Agreement) and demonstrates how initial political commitments have gradually transformed into measurable and legally binding benchmarks for accession. It also identifies and discusses the main challenges underlying the conditionality framework shedding light on ambiguous provisions, (differing) interpretations of normalisation of bilateral relations and the EU’s internal contestations on recognition of statehood in Kosovo. The research concludes that the Dialogue has become a unique example of a CFSP instrument evolving into formal legal conditionality shaping both countries' accession process to the EU, but it also remains constrained by the political will of local actors and the EU itself.