Evolving Property Rights in Kosova

In July 2010, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the European integration of Kosova. This followed a major international post-Cold War liberal peacebuilding and state building project, with a central role for the creation of a post-communist, post conflict property law system. Private property ownership was seen as central to a multi-ethnic liberal democracy with guaranteed human rights and a market economy. While most “private” property in housing, land and possessions already existed in Kosova, the international focus largely turned on the privatisation of large scale socially owned enterprises, restitution of housing and property rights for displaced persons, and later, by addressing (or not) several distinct Kosovan property rights issues. New institutional frameworks and mechanisms were established for addressing property issues, alongside and instead of the courts. Detailed examination of these measures and their outcomes remains largely unexplored. Hence, this paper will shed light on aspects of the recent establishment of private property systems in Kosova, as well as the range of property types which have emerged, tracing the links between these, and identifying some, as yet, unresolved issues.