OSCE workshops focus on protection of property and housing rights in Kosovo

Between 11 and 27 April 2014, the OSCE Mission in Kosovo organized a series of five awareness-raising workshops on the protection of property and housing rights of non-Albanian communities, particularly land expropriation, illegal occupation and immovable property tax.

The workshops were attended by 115 officials from municipalities, ministries, Kosovo Property Agency, Kosovo Police, as well as representatives of non-Albanian communities including civil society organizations and village leaders.  

Representatives of non-Albanian communities requested better protection of their property and housing rights, and urged the municipal officials who deal with expropriation cases to reach out and sufficiently inform displaced persons affected by expropriation about their rights and the legal protection in place.

They also called on courts to prioritise cases dealing with illegal re-occupation of their properties as re-occupiers continue to use those properties for the duration of the entire court proceedings, some of which are ongoing for several years.

In addition, participants requested from responsible institutions to amend the Law on Taxes on Immovable Property and to ensure that property owners do not have to pay the accumulated property tax debts for the period during which the properties were illegally occupied.   

The OSCE Mission is mandated with human and community rights protection and promotion, democratization, and public safety sector development. It works to promote, monitor and advocate for the full enjoyment of property and housing rights without discrimination for all the communities living in Kosovo.