"They did it. Contrary to expectations, they did it. Not the Kosovars who declared independence from Serbia on Sunday. But the European Union. Faced with Kosovo's long-expected move, the 27 EU countries largely stuck together, more or less agreed on a line to take, and have now begun the orderly deployment of a new ESDP mission." (Daniel Korski in the Guardian/Comment is free).

Indeed, the EU Council decided on Saturday 16 February to launch an EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo - EULEX Kosovo - which is due to start "after a 120-day transition period from the decision to launch", that is in about 4 months. After this important decision, the EU Council agreed to disagree on Monday on recognising the independence of Kosovo. It merely noted "that Member States will decide, in accordance with national practice and international law, on their relations with Kosovo." (cf. Tagesschau, 18.2.2008, click on "EU zu Kosovo"). 

Transitions Online (TOL), a media development non-governmental
organization based in Prague, is commissioning an article series on
education reform across various target regions, including Southeastern
Europe, on behalf of the Open Society Institute's Education Support
Program. TOL is looking for articles on the education reform process in Albania,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Moldova,
Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria.