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Purpose: This research study addresses the key issues of the fiscal policies and tax system in Kosovo to align with the contemporary tax principles and requirements of the European Standards.

Design/methodology/approach: In order to explain the fiscal policies and tax system in Kosovo, the authors provide an overview of the fiscal policies and tax system in the country. The authors focused on the building and development of the tax system, the role of the tax policy in economic development and the macro-fiscal stability. The methodology approach is based on primary and other secondary sources, such as academic literature, the reports provided by the Ministry of Finance and international institutions, tax law and other available important statistical data.

Findings: The chapter substantiates and confirms the need for tax reforms in order to have an adequate tax system oriented to indirect tax, changing the structure of tax collection for border tax into domestic tax, simplification of the legal procedures, improvement of management and audit systems, reducing the informal gray economy and to have a gradual growth-friendly fiscal policy. Positive fiscal performance continued, although there is still room to improve the execution of revenues.

Practical Implications: This chapter highlights the fact that Kosovo needs to intensify their fiscal reforms to build a sustainable tax system in order to meet the criteria of the EU tax system and policies.

Originality/value: The authors define the needs for strengthening the budget revenues, taking strong and coordinated steps to improve the management and collection of the revenues from indirect and direct taxes. Moreover, the authors show that the Kosovo tax system is broadly in line with the EU acquis and needs reform in order to have a sustainable tax regime.

Purpose: Like other Southeast European countries, Kosova applies the principles of a market economy. Despite the difficulties, in the efforts to create a free and competitive market economy, Kosovo must undertake reforms to face the reality of economic integration and global markets in general. In this regard, an important aspect is the implementation of economic reforms, the justice system, and the effective implementation of competition law under the ‘Acquis communautaire’. Therefore, the purpose of the research is to analyse the issues related to the regulation and protection of competition in Kosovo, with particular attention to controlling the concentration of enterprises based on EU practices.

Methodology: In answering the above questions, we carried out a desk review of comprehensive professional literature, EU treaties and directives, international competition institutions standards and requirements as well as other national laws and legal acts.

Findings: Moderate progress has been made, but the necessary steps are still taken to have a competitive economy and to be in the right position for EU integration. Concentrations are one of the important parts of competition law where through this practice it is possible to merge and acquire enterprises. Many cases of abuse can be encountered in this type of practice, so the role of competent supervisory authorities is necessary to regulate them. Concentration problems have been addressed since the establishment of joint ventures and their operation within the market modernisation becomes more complex both in the application and in the investigation by the competent controlling authorities. The analysis and functioning of the internal market, as well as the lack of practices in the field of concentration within an effective competition, is the focus of this chapter.

Significance: This chapter addresses issues raised in terms of competition law and possible improvements that can be made through the implementation of European regulations, creating market stability and sustainable economies in the long-run.

This chapter aims to examine the position of the banking system and the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on bank liquidity in six Western Balkan Countries. We aim to analyse the current financial parameters of the banking system to determine the impact of the pandemic’s various risks on the banking liquidity stability in response to the capital reserves of central banks of the respective countries. This chapter deals with cross-country comparison analysis of how the government responded including fiscal stimulus packages to prevent the financial downturn and the impact on liquidity retention. The methodology is based on a comparative data analysis using primary and secondary sources. Although it is too early to have full evidence of the depth of the pandemic impact, the findings show that because of the immediate actions undertaken by the liquidity management of each country and also as a result of the favourable liquidity position before the pandemic Crisis, the banking sector had sufficient reserves to overcome the risk of crisis. Moreover, all six Balkan Countries have adapted the regulatory framework in line with international emergency measures to maintain financial stability. The measures and instruments implemented by countries have generally complied with the Basel Committee’s instructions. The measures and instruments implemented by countries have generally complied with the Basel Committee’s instructions.

In this paper, we analyse and provide an overview of the functions the state aid in Kosovo and demonstrate their compliance with EU rules in fidls of state aid Article 107(3)(b) TFEU. We deal with the level of implementation of state aid rules by Kosovo institutions, especially Kosovo’s Commission for State Aid. We provide an overview of the State of Kosovo in fulfilling its obligation on state aid issues based on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and others documents, which is a step forward for EU integration. We do this by conducting a comparative analysis of the data collected from both primary and secondary sources to demonstrate the current situation on state aid in Kosovo and determine the most appropriate means to build a strong and efficient National State Aid Commission. Findings from the study show that Kosovo Aid Commission is still in a development phase, and more needs to be done to create an adequate state aid regime. We propose measures to ensure the effective implementation of the state aid law.

This chapter addresses the main issues regulating property rights in Kosovo, with particular attention given to the public property. Through this chapter, an effort will be made to present a short historical overview of property forms in Kosovo, especially its transformation from one kind to another in the past as a part of former Yugoslavia, during the period of the 90s and for the period of UNMIK Administration, as well as an objective reflection of the current state of the legislation of the Republic of Kosovo with concern to public property.

The authors carried out a desk review of academic literature, national and international regulation, reports provided by international institutions and other available important resources. Besides the theoretical review of international and local literature, legislation in Kosovo and other relevant documents, the chapter focusses on practical research by analysing the relevant legal property acts in Kosovo and the current situation in ownership and property rights, nidificate legal vacuum and existing weaknesses.

The legal acts in Kosovo have not sufficiently regulated state property’s status, so the question of which level of power is competent to manage state property has become an object of various interpretations.

The authors herein propose a few measures to regulate real property right with special attention to one public property.

The authors define the need to regulate property forms in Kosovo and their harmonisation, such as undertaking the proper coordinated steps to have an adequate property rights regime.