As the youngest state in Europe, the Republic of Kosovo has one of the slowest rates of EU accession among Western Balkan nations seeking to join the EU. Since declaring its independence on February 17, 2008, Kosovo has pursued its European ambitions in a one-way manner, despite several government changes. However, this process has been hampered by a number of issues, including internal problems within Kosovo as well as regional and international political factors and the disparities in perspectives of the EU member states (five of which still do not recognize Kosovo as a state). The Stabilization and Association Process (SAP) for five Southeast European nations hoping to join the EU was launched at the Zagreb Summit in 2000, right after the conflict in Kosovo. The European Commission acknowledged this act following the proclamation of Kosovo's independence, but handled Kosovo as a sui generis instance. The European Commission declared its plan to submit a feasibility study for Kosovo in the 2008 Enlargement Strategy. The European Council approved the Commission's proposal in December 2008 to submit a report looking at the tools for advancing Kosovo's socioeconomic and political development. "The EU's readiness to support Kosovo's political and economic development through a clear European perspective, in line with the European perspective of the region," was reiterated by the European Council (Commission, 2009). After the war in Kosovo, the EU took the lead in economic rehabilitation and reconstruction. After the declaration of independence, the EU took the lead, concentrating its efforts on creating democratic institutions, human and administrative capacity, good governance, and the rule of law in addition to the economic restoration of the region (Economides, 2020).

The Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), which came into effect in April 2016, was signed by the EU and Kosovo in 2014. Since then, Kosovo has encountered numerous internal and external obstacles in meeting its obligations under the SAA. These include the EU's lack of political will to expedite the enlargement process and the non-recognition of Kosovo by five EU member states (Commission, 2009). In order to comply with the integration process, Kosovo is just beginning to meet the requirements of the European Union (EU) acquis, including environmental standards (Bekteshi, 2020). The ongoing and urgent need for environmental regulations in Europe has made Kosovo's integration process even more difficult. The next stages of integration will require recognition from the five EU member states that do not recognize Kosovo, even if, up to now, EU institutions have discovered a workable legal way to get over their veto for some processes. Kosovo's journey to EU membership is already and will be impacted by this dire political situation (Shasha, 2020). As of right now, Kosovo has the status of a potential candidate country. The Kosovo government submitted an official application for EU membership in 2022. Other than receiving the application and requesting clearance from the EU Council for additional assessment, the European Commission has not yet provided a tangible answer (Europe, 2024).

The EU Council approves an Enlargement Communiqué every year, containing suggestions for the enlargement process based on specific assessments for each candidate country. The European Commission (EC) Progress Reports, on the other hand, offer a thorough evaluation of the changes and advancements candidate and prospective candidate countries have achieved on their own path to EU membership. Recommendations and instructions about reform goals are included in these publications. Every year, the EC releases the Progress Report, which summarizes the current state of accession and the advancements each country has made in the respective year. The EU Council uses this report as a vital resource to evaluate candidate states' progress toward EU membership. The EC Progress Report, which is prepared every year, assesses candidate countries' adherence to EU membership requirements and offers a thorough analysis of their political, economic, and social advancements. The EC Progress Report's main goal is to provide a transparent and impartial summary of candidate countries’ progress in putting the Copenhagen Criteria and the Acquis into practice. The report helps the European Parliament and the EU Council assess a candidate state's level of compliance with membership requirements (Commission, 1998). Since 2006, the EC Progress Report for Kosovo has been published by the European Commission using the same framework and procedures as other countries undergoing admission. Each of the five clusters that make up the Progress Report has multiple chapters. Chapter 14 (Transport policy), Chapter 15 (Energy), Chapter 21 (Trans-European Networks), and Chapter 27 (Environment and Climate Change) are the four chapters that make up the Green Agenda cluster (Commission, 2020).

Despite its small territory of 10,887km², Kosovo is considered to be rich in natural resources and biodiversity. Approximately 11.5% of the territory is under legal conservation status with two national parks (Sharri and Bjeshket e Nemuna), the Mirusha Waterfalls, the Bifurcation of Nerodime River (the second example of its kind in the world), Germia Park, and the Pashtriku Mountains as the most notable protected natural sites (Z. & B, 2015). However, there is significant pollution and environmental deterioration in Kosovo. Pollution from the nation's industrial and energy past and pollution that emerged from the 1999 war in Kosovo are the two eras of environmental issues. Over the past century, Kosovo has experienced modest economic growth, but it has also been marked by the unchecked exploitation of natural resources like minerals and lignite, with little regard for the pollution and effects of this exploitation. The industrial sector has not recovered to its pre-war levels after the conflict, yet pollution has persisted. In the meantime, post-war pollution has been exacerbated by the rapid expansion of the transport sector, which currently ranks second in terms of air emissions after the energy sector. Water supply has gotten worse due to scarce water resources and inadequate wastewater treatment. Land has lost quality owing to pollution, as well as surface area due to development for infrastructure. The main pressures affecting Kosovars' lives continue to be rapid and uncontrolled urbanization, waste pollution, and noise (Veselaj, 2013).

Since 2002, when the first governing institutions of Kosovo were formed, the adoption of environmental legislation and policies began to address the mitigation and resolution of problems of air, water, soil pollution, nature and biodiversity conservation, climate change, waste, noise, industrial pollution, environmental impact assessment, etc. The aim of all these environmental laws and policies is harmonization with European standards, more like an expressed will towards EU integration. For instance, the basic Law on Environmental Protection in Article 1 specifies that “the purpose of this law is to promote the creation of a healthy environment for the people of Kosovo by gradually adopting EU environmental standards” (Kosovo, 2009). However, effective legislation does not guarantee that it will have an immediate impact. In its most recent report on Kosovo, the European Commission also noted that "further progress is needed for full alignment and implementation of the remaining cross-cutting environmental directives" (D. et al., 2019).

Reports by international organizations operating in Kosovo generally conclude that Kosovo's environmental laws are well-developed, widely accepted, and compliant with EU and international law (O.E.C.D., 2021). However, public authorities continue to implement sustainable development legislation at a very low level due to a number of factors, including a lack of professional capacity for implementation, a lack of financial support, a lack of cooperation between government agencies, and a lack of education and awareness for sustainable development (Veselaj, 2019). Environmental standards are among the most complicated and challenging requirements to meet in the admission process, as demonstrated by the practices of the nations that have recently joined the EU enlargement procedures. As a result, the EC Progress Reports' evaluations of candidate nations' adherence to environmental regulations serve as crucial markers of actual progress toward EU membership. According to the study by (R. & M, 2017), Kosovo's authorities have “enacted a variety of environmental laws. However, a lack of efficient enforcement tools and noncompliance hinder environmental governance and its EU compliance in practice”.

There aren't many studies on Kosovo's integration procedures and EC Progress Reports' use as political tools in this process. A study by (Tare, 2023) reminds the priority steps for Kosovo to continue its path towards EU integration, focusing on key areas such as reforms, democratic governance, alignment with the EU Acquis, economic development, human capital, regional cooperation, administrative capacities, citizen engagement, dialogue with the EU and progress monitoring. However, no research has yet been done on Kosovo's integration efforts in some of the most challenging but crucial areas of EU standards, such as the environment and climate change. According to the literature on EU-Kosovo relations, the EU has had a significant impact on Kosovo's institutional and political orientation, especially through the instruments of reform support and conditionality. Many experts stress that, compared to other nations in the region, Kosovo's situation is considerably more complicated due to the non-recognition of five member states and the ongoing hostilities with Serbia. Research shows that these elements reduce the efficacy of EU programs and produce ongoing doubt about Kosovo's chances of integrating into the EU (Mexhuani, 2023). Significant legal changes may be necessary for EU integration, especially with regard to EU legislation and harmonization with European standards. In order to guarantee institutional and normative approximation with the EU, Kosovo should explicitly address issues that may restrict the application of EU legislation, based on the experiences of states that modified their legislation (Gruda, 2023). Since joining the EU is a long-term objective, new environmental legislation that continues to envision adopting the EU environmental acquis has supplemented and, in some cases, repealed existing environmental laws since the declaration of independence. Even though the majority of environmental laws such as Law on the Environmental Protection, Law on Nature Protection, Law on Water, Law on Air Pollution etc., have already been passed and put into effect, most indicators of compliance, such as limits on permissible spills, emissions and quality standards, or the designation of zones of protection, still need to be included in Kosovo's laws to prevent the environmental harm (Fajardo, 2016).

A study by (D. & V, 2014) about the integration processes shows that university professors had the most understanding of integration processes out of three groups surveyed: public officials, university professors, and students. As a result, 73 out of 80 university professors reported having very excellent or decent knowledge of the EU integration process. Regarding their level of knowledge, public officials were equally split. Out of 120 students, 64 reported having very good and good knowledge, whereas the remaining students reported having little to no such knowledge. A study by (S. & M, 2018) analyzed Kosovo's environmental legislation in the light of its approximation with the EU acquis by using mainly the comparative legal approach and substantial aspects. The findings of the study indicated that the “step-by-step” approximation of EU environmental law into Kosovo environmental legislation is partial, reaching around 40%, but still remains far from being complete and its implementation. Despite yearly reporting about the EC Progress Reports, there is a significant gap in the academic literature providing systematic, longitudinal, and evidence-based analysis of Kosovo’s progress in aligning with the EU acquis under Chapter 27: Environment and Climate Change (Commission, 2024).

The research project was conducted using a mixed method with a quantitative and qualitative approach. A desk review was performed to contextualize the concepts of EU enlargement and the Progress Report as a crucial instrument for candidate countries in the EU accession process. Data analysis combined qualitative content analysis of Progress Reports and policy documents with quantitative statistical analysis of survey responses to identify trends, comparative performance, and perception-based assessments of progress in the environment and climate change chapter. This served to support the analysis with information on the last five years of progress reports and Kosovo’s integration policy documents. The desk review also includes an evaluation of the 2024 EC Progress Report across its 31 chapters and a comparison of progress reports from the last five years, specifically for Chapter 27: Environment and Climate Change (Commission, 2024). Additionally, a comparison was made regarding Kosovo’s progress in relation to the neighboring countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia over the past five years (2020-2024), with aim to show Kosovo’s EU integration path as a member of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. The quantitative research focused on analyzing the perceptions and assessments of progress in the field of environment and climate change among students and academic staff.

To conduct the statistical analysis, an online questionnaire was developed and completed by students and academic staff from various public universities. The questionnaire contained the same set of questions for students and academic staff. The questionnaire is composed of three sections: the general aspects of assessing the environmental situation in Kosovo, the second section addressed the credibility and evaluation of the Progress Report assessment grades, while the third section covered respondents' recommendations for expected environmental improvements from the standpoint of the institutional, legal, curricular, and civic framework.

The findings of this study highlight the persistent challenges Kosovo faces in aligning its environmental and climate change policies with the EU Acquis under Chapter 27 of the EC Progress Report. Quantitative data reveal that respondents perceive environmental conditions as deteriorating rather than improving, with more than half of respondents reporting worsening trends. This perception is consistent with the EC Progress Report’s repeated assessment of “limited progress” across most environmental sectors over the past five years. The alignment between citizens’ views and the EC evaluations suggests that the EC Progress Report accurately reflects the reality of Kosovo’s environmental situation. A closer look at sectoral performance shows uneven progress. Waste management stands out as the most positively evaluated area, with consistent improvements noted across all reporting years. Water management also demonstrated occasional progress, particularly in 2021, when it was rated “good progress”. However, other critical areas such as noise, chemicals, and industrial pollution have shown no progress, underscoring systemic weaknesses in enforcement and implementation. This stagnation is particularly concerning given that Kosovo’s legislation is formally aligned with EU directives in some of these fields, suggesting that the gap lies not in lawmaking but in implementation. Comparative analysis with neighboring countries further illustrates Kosovo’s relative disadvantage. While Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina share similar struggles, Montenegro and Serbia have achieved more substantial progress, with Serbia even reaching “good progress” in 2024. This divergence highlights the urgency for Kosovo to accelerate reforms if it wishes to remain competitive in the regional integration process. The study also sheds light on the sources of environmental knowledge among the respondents. The dominance of the internet and social media as primary sources of information reflects global trends but raises concern about the limited role of NGOs and scientific sources in shaping public awareness. Despite their formal presence, environmental NGOs in Kosovo remain underfunded and lack the capacity to influence policy or public discourse effectively. This weak civil society engagement further hampers the country’s ability to build a culture of accountability and sustainability. Trust in the EC Progress Report emerges as a significant finding. More than half of respondents strongly believe that the Report provides an accurate reflection of Kosovo’s environmental progress. This high level of trust reinforces the legitimacy of the EC Progress Report as a tool for guiding reforms. It also places responsibility on institutions to take its recommendations seriously. The consultative and inclusive nature of the reporting process, confirmed by interviewees, strengthens this trust and suggests that the Report can serve as a credible roadmap for reform.

Overall, the results point to a paradox: while Kosovo has developed a relatively comprehensive legislative framework aligned with EU standards, implementation remains weak, leading to limited or no progress in most areas. Respondents’ perceptions confirm this reality, and comparisons with neighboring countries highlight Kosovo’s lagging position. To move forward, Kosovo must invest in institutional capacity, strengthen enforcement mechanisms, and empower civil society actors. Only through such measures can the country transform legislative alignment into tangible environmental improvements and advance meaningfully on its path toward EU integration.

The novelty of the study lies in its mixed-methods design, which triangulates: longitudinal qualitative content analysis of EC Progress Reports, comparative regional assessment across Western Balkan countries, and quantitative survey data capturing perceptions among students and academic staff. By integrating institutional performance analysis with perception-based evidence, the study extends beyond document-based policy reviews and offers a more comprehensive understanding of how EU environmental and climate reform progress is interpreted within academia. The study provides a solid contribution to international literature on EU integration and environmental policies, as it brings a unique approach by combining institutional assessments of the EC Progress Reports with respondents’ perceptions. Unlike most studies that focus only on the legal or institutional analysis of the harmonization of the environmental acquis, this research links the political and technical dimension with the direct experience of society, providing a more comprehensive overview of the integration process. This makes the paper comparable with similar studies in other Western Balkan countries, but at the same time sets it apart due to the specific context of Kosovo as a new country and not yet recognized by five EU member states. In this way, the paper contributes to the international literature as a case study illustrating the dual challenges of legal harmonization and social perception in the processes of European integration in the field of environment and climate change.

This study makes an important scientific contribution by providing a structured and combined analysis of qualitative and quantitative data on Chapter 27: Environment and Climate Change of the EC Progress Report for Kosovo, comparing the institutional assessment with respondents’ perceptions. For the first time, the credibility of the Report is empirically measured through a large sample of students and academic staff, as well as interviews with institutional and societal stakeholders. This methodological approach not only enriches the literature on Kosovo’s European integration but also creates an applicable model for similar analyses in other chapters of the EC Progress Report. In this way, the paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the challenges of harmonizing environmental legislation with the EU acquis and provides evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and civil society.

This is the first study to examine Kosovo's progress on Chapter 27 based on the EC Progress Reports assessment. It also compares the assessments provided by Kosovo students and academic staff using the same assessment scale with those found in the Progress Report. The findings demonstrated that the Progress Report's evaluations of the institutional, political, and legal changes necessary for the nation's integration process, in our case for Chapter 27, were strongly trusted by the study's participants. Compared to other countries, Kosovo is lagging behind other countries in the Western Balkans region in the integration process and in meeting the required standards in the integration process and in preparing for the implementation of the Acquis on the environment. In terms of progress in the sectors within Chapter 27, it is worrying that in the last five years, there has been no progress in two of the most stressful environmental pressures on citizens' lives: noise and chemicals. Additionally, it was found that in the majority of the 19 areas that the study evaluated, the respondents' evaluations agreed with those of the EC Progress Report. All interviewees confirmed the credibility of the EC Progress Report based on the institutional inclusiveness and correctness of the assessment of achievements, but also setbacks in the field of environment and climate change. This leads to the conclusion that the EC Progress Report is a tangible, trustworthy, and legitimate tool that country institutions ought to take far more seriously when advancing the nation's integration processes. It is advised that the evaluations of the nation's readiness and level of progress found in the Progress Reports serve as a foundation for integration policies and the achievement of the requirements of the environmental Acquis. The study about Chapter 27 has built a solid methodology, and its conclusions can be used as a model for comparable research in other chapters of the EC Progress Report. These studies would assist the country institutions in more precisely outlining the course of reforms and fulfilling the standards for EU membership.