Romania "withdrawing its gendarmes and police from Kosovo”

The Supreme Council of National Defence decided to withdraw the 178 gendarmes and police officers taking part in the Kosovo mission, states a release posted on the website of the Presidency.

Their withdrawal will be made, according to a CSAT press release, "following the completion of the duty", programmed for December.

The details of the retreat action will be set up in coordination with European partners.
The Romanian Gendarmerie has been conducting peacekeeping missions in Kosovo since 22 February 2002, following the request of the United Nations Organization, addressed to Romania and approved by the Parliament.
Currently, the Romanian gendarmes’ campus is located in the city of Pec (Peja), in southwest Kosovo.
Starting 10 December 2008, The International Mission Detachment of the Romanian Gendarmerie deployed is running missions and subordinates operationally to the European Union, within the mission EULEX Kosovo, after the transfer of responsibility between ONU and the EU.

Compared to previous mandates (under aegis of the ONU), which were running for a year, the EULEX mandate is six months long.

The Kosovo mission is part of the responsibilities rising from Romania’s accession to the European Union, namely the Romanian contribution to the general effort to ensure peace and safety throughout Europe.
The traffic police could pass under the authority of the municipality.

CSAT has also approved the concept of system reconfiguration on public order. According to a press release the Government is going to approve the necessary legislation to transfer responsibilities in public order and road traffic from the national to the local Police.
"CSAT approved the concept of reconfiguring the public order system through personnel and responsibilities transfer in the local administration coordination. In this context, the Romanian Government will adopt the necessary legislation for the responsibilities transfer in public order and road traffic from the National to the Local Police authority to increase this way the efficiency of field actions", shows a press release of the presidential administration.


Translated by: Manuela Stancu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University