30 September - 06 October 2026 | Weekly Regional Briefing
The past week has brought significant developments concerning electoral law, constitutional institutions, environmental obligations and judicial reform across the Western Balkans.
Serbia has moved further into the electoral process ahead of its 25 October parliamentary elections, including arrangements for voting abroad. Croatia has advanced the latest revision of its programme for radioactive waste disposal at the Krško Nuclear Power Plant, keeping its dispute with Bosnia and Herzegovina over Trgovska Gora in focus. Bosnia and Herzegovina has also held its 2026 General Elections, while Kosovo has reached a critical constitutional deadline over the election of a new President and continued its legislative challenge to the Specialist Chambers. Albania, meanwhile, has launched a major review of its Criminal Procedure Code.
Serbia: Electoral Commission Sets Overseas Voting Arrangements
Serbia's Republic Electoral Commission has adopted decisions determining polling stations and voting hours abroad for the parliamentary elections scheduled for 25 October.
At its 4 October session, the Commission adopted decisions on polling stations abroad and on the opening and closing times for voting. The Commission also considered objections concerning the electoral process and appointed members of the expanded composition of the Commission.
The arrangements for voting abroad have attracted particular attention because the Commission has determined voting hours according to Serbian time. The decision has raised questions concerning practical access to voting for Serbian citizens living in different time zones.
The issue is particularly relevant as the election administration moves into its final stages ahead of the 25 October parliamentary elections.
Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina: Krško Waste Programme Keeps Trgovska Gora Dispute in Focus
Croatia's parliamentary procedure concerning the fourth revision of the programmes for the decommissioning of the Krško Nuclear Power Plant and the disposal of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel has moved forward.
On 1 October, the Croatian Parliament's Economy Committee considered the revised programmes and recommended that Parliament give its prior consent to their confirmation. The programmes are subject to periodic revision under the 2001 agreement between Croatia and Slovenia concerning the status, operation and decommissioning of the Krško plant.
The development is directly relevant to the continuing dispute with Bosnia and Herzegovina over Croatia's planned radioactive waste disposal facility at Čerkezovac, on Trgovska Gora, close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has pursued legal and diplomatic action concerning the proposed facility, including engagement with international environmental mechanisms. The dispute raises important questions under international environmental law, particularly concerning transboundary environmental impact assessment and the obligations of states whose territory may be affected by a proposed project.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: General Elections Held Amid Continuing Institutional Challenges
Bosnia and Herzegovina held its General Elections on 4 October, with voters electing members of the Presidency, the Parliamentary Assembly and entity and cantonal institutions.
The Central Election Commission published preliminary results and turnout information following the close of polling. The elections also marked an important stage in the introduction of new electoral technologies intended to strengthen the integrity and transparency of the voting process.
The Central Election Commission has continued processing and publishing preliminary results while the election administration moves towards the certification of the final results.
The elections provide an important test of Bosnia and Herzegovina's electoral framework and the capacity of its institutions to implement recently introduced safeguards and technologies across a complex constitutional structure.
Kosovo: Constitutional Deadline for Presidential Election Reaches Its Final Day
Kosovo has reached a critical constitutional deadline on 6 October for the election of a new President.
The Constitutional Court previously determined that the 60-day constitutional period for electing the President began on 8 August and expires on 6 October. If the Assembly fails to elect a President within the prescribed period, the constitutional mechanism for the dissolution of the Assembly and new parliamentary elections is triggered.
As the deadline approaches, Kosovo's political parties have not secured the necessary agreement on a presidential candidate. The dispute has also become linked to negotiations over proposed amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers.
The situation creates a significant constitutional challenge, as several institutional deadlines and procedures are now closely connected. The outcome will determine whether Kosovo's current Assembly can continue its mandate or whether the country will enter another parliamentary election process.
Kosovo: Parliament Advances Amendments to Specialist Chambers Law
Kosovo's Assembly has advanced a bill proposing amendments to the Law on the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor's Office.
The proposed legislation was introduced as Draft Law No. 11/L-001 and was formally received by the Assembly on 22 September. On 5 October, the Assembly's Legislation Committee approved the draft law in principle. The Assembly subsequently approved it in first reading, with 91 MPs voting in favour.
The proposed amendments include changes concerning maximum prison sentences, the serving of sentences in Kosovo, appeals and presidential powers concerning pardons. The initiative follows the recent first-instance convictions of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaçi and three former KLA leaders by the Specialist Chambers in The Hague.
The legislative initiative has generated significant political controversy and protests outside Parliament. It raises important questions concerning the relationship between Kosovo's domestic legal order and the international judicial framework established for the Specialist Chambers, including the extent to which Kosovo may amend the domestic legislation governing the Court while its proceedings remain ongoing.
Albania: Government Opens Consultation on Major Criminal Procedure Reform
Albania's Ministry of Justice has opened public consultation on a comprehensive package of amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code, presented on 30 September together with the Council of Europe.
The proposed reforms focus on pre-trial detention, alternatives to detention, stronger procedural guarantees and the protection of individual rights. The draft also addresses the rights of persons under investigation, defendants and witnesses, together with issues concerning judicial control and transparency of criminal proceedings.
The reform follows concerns over the use and duration of pre-trial detention in Albania. The authorities have stressed the need for detention to remain an exceptional measure and have proposed wider use of alternatives, including electronic monitoring.
The public consultation is open until 28 October. The proposed amendments represent a significant further step in Albania's continuing justice reform and its alignment of criminal procedure with European human rights standards.
Editor's Note
This week's developments illustrate the continuing importance of institutional safeguards across the Western Balkans.
In Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, electoral administration is under particular scrutiny as both countries implement major election processes. Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina remain engaged in a significant cross-border environmental dispute concerning radioactive waste, bringing international environmental obligations and consultation mechanisms into focus.
Kosovo faces the most immediate constitutional challenge, with the deadline for electing a President coinciding with an attempt to amend the domestic legal framework governing the Specialist Chambers. In Albania, the proposed Criminal Procedure Code reforms demonstrate that justice reform continues to evolve, particularly around detention, defence rights and procedural safeguards.
Across the region, the ability of constitutional and administrative institutions to operate within clearly defined legal limits remains central to the effectiveness of the rule of law.
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