Municipalities of Kosovo explained

A municipality (sq|komuna; sr|{{lang|sr-Cyrl|општина) is the basic administrative division in Kosovo and constitutes the only level of power in local governance.^[1] There are 38 municipalities in Kosovo; 27 of which have an Albanian ethnic majority, 10 Serb and 1 Turkish. After the 2013 Brussels Agreement, signed by the governments of Kosovo and Serbia, an agreement was made to create a Community of Serb Municipalities, which would operate within Kosovo's legal framework. Since 2013, the agreement has not been fulfilled by Kosovo's authorities, calling upon its constitution and territorial integrity.

List of municipalities

Emblem Stema Amblem	Municipality Komuna Opština^[2]	Area^[3]	Map Location	Settlements Vendbanimet Naselja^[4]	Population (2011)^[5] ^[6]	Population (2024)^[7]	Change (2011-2024)	Mayor Kryetar/e Gradonačelnik^[8]	Party
	Deçan Dečani / Дечани	293.97km2		37		Bashkim Ramosaj		AAK
	Dragash Dragaš / Драгаш	433.85km2		36		Bexhet Xheladini		LDK
	Ferizaj Uroševac / Урошевац	344.61km2		45		Agim Aliu		PDK
	Fushë Kosova Kosovo Polje / Косово Поље	84.09km2		16		Burim Berisha		LDK
	Gjakova Đakovica / Ђаковица	586.62km2		88		Ardian Gjini		AAK
	Gjilan Gnjilane / Гњилане	391.84km2		49		Alban Hyseni		VV
	Drenas Glogovac / Глоговац	275.63km2		35		Ramiz Lladrovci		PDK
	Graçanicë Gračanica / Грачаница	122.41km2		17				LS
	Hani i Elezit Elez Han / Елез Хан	83.11km2		11		Mehmet Ballazhi		PDK
	Istog Istok / Исток	454.36km2		50		Ilir Ferati		LDK
	Junik / Јуник	77.78km2		3		Ruzhdi Shehu		LDK
	Kaçanik Kačanik Качаник	211.28km2		31		Besim Ilazi		PDK
	Kamenicë Kosovska Kamenica / Косовска Каменица	416.61km2		58		Kadri Rahimaj		VV
	Klinë Klina / Клина	309.02km2		54		Zenun Elezaj		AAK
	Kllokot Klokot / Клокот	23.39km2		4		Božidar Dejanović		LS
	Leposaviq Leposavić / Лепосавић	539.05km2		75		Lulzim Hetemi		VV
	Lipjan Lipljan / Липљан	338.41km2		62		Imri Ahmeti		LDK
	Malisheva Mališevo / Малишево	306.42km2		44		Ragip Begaj		NISMA
	Mamusha Mamuša / Мамуша	10.94km2		1		Abdulhadi Krasniç		KDTP
	Mitrovicë Kosovska Mitrovica / Косовска Митровица	329.35km2		47				PDK
	North Mitrovica Severna Kosovska Mitrovica / Северна Косовска Митровица	6.83km2		1		Erden Atiq		VV
	Novobërda Novo Brdo / Ново Брдо	203.98km2		26		Svetislav Ivanović		LS
	Obiliq Obilić / Обилић	104.84km2		20		Xhafer Gashi		LDK
	Partesh Parteš / Партеш	28.67km2		3		Dragan Petković		LS
	Peja Peć / Пећ	602.63km2		79				LDK
	Podujevë Podujevo / Подујево	632.59km2		77		Shpejtim Bulliqi		VV
	Prishtina Priština / Приштина	523.13km2		43				LDK
	Prizren / Призрен	626.86km2		76		Shaqir Totaj		PDK
	Rahovec Orahovac / Ораховац	275.9km2		36		Smajl Latifi		AAK
	Ranillug Ranilug / Ранилуг	77.62km2		13		Vladica Aritonović		LS
	Skenderaj Srbica / Србица	374.37km2		49				PDK
	Suhareka Suva Reka / Сува Река	361.04km2		41		Bali Muharremaj		AAK
	Shtërpca Štrpce / Штрпце	247.7km2		16				LS
	Shtime Štimlje / Штимље	134.42km2		23		Qemajl Aliu		VV
	Vitia Vitina / Витина	269.69km2		39		Sokol Haliti		LDK
	Vushtrri Vučitrn / Вучитрн	344.85km2		67		Ferit Idrizi		PDK
	Zubin Potoku Zubin Potok / Зубин Поток	334.38km2		61				PDK
	Zveçan Zvečan / Звечан	123.01km2		35				PDK
—	38	10905.25km2	—	1,468	1,780,021	1,585,566	−10.92%	—	—

Powers of municipalities

All municipalities have the following competences, as regulated by Law Nr. 03/L-040 of the Constitution of Kosovo:^[9]

1. Local economic development.
2. Urban and rural planning.
3. Land use and development.
4. Implementation of building regulations and building control standards.
5. Local environmental protection.
6. Provision and maintenance of public services and utilities, including water supply, sewers and drains, sewage treatment, waste management, local roads, local transport and local heating schemes.
7. Local emergency response.
8. Provision of public pre-primary, primary and secondary education, including registration and licensing of educational institutions, recruitment, payment of salaries and training of education instructors and administrators.
9. Provision of public primary health care.
10. Provision of family and other social welfare services, such as care for the vulnerable, foster care, child care, elderly care, including registration and licensing of these care centers, recruitment, payment of salaries and training of social welfare professionals.
11. Public housing.
12. Public health.
13. Licensing of local services and facilities, including those related to entertainment, cultural and leisure activities, food, lodging, markets, street vendors, local public transportation and taxis.
14. Naming of roads, streets and other public places.
15. Provision and maintenance of public parks and spaces.
16. Tourism.
17. Cultural and leisure activities.
18. Any matter which is not explicitly excluded from their competence nor assigned to other authorities.

Community of Serb Municipalities

Municipalities with Serb majorities have additional powers over the appointment of local police commanders, religious and cultural heritage sites within their boundaries; some of them have competences over universities and secondary health which in non-Serb-majority municipalities are a matter for central government (and, through the right of association of municipalities, even those Serb-majority municipalities which are not specifically given these powers may exercise them in association with those that do).

The 2013 Brussels Agreement signed by the Government of Kosovo and the Government of Serbia contains provisions for the formation of a Community of Serb Municipalities^[10] (sr|Заједница српских општина / Zajednica srpskih opština; sq|Asociacioni i komunave serbe) It was expected to be created in 2015, but its formation has been postponed over conflicts about extent of powers.

Former municipalities

Between 1990 and 2000, in the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija, there were the following additional municipalities:

• Gora
• Opolje (1990–1992, later part of Prizren)

In 2000 both were merged into the new municipality of Dragash. The number of municipalities remained at 30 until 2005, when the new municipality of Malisheva was formed, by taking territories from the municipalities of Rahovec (District of Gjakova), Suhareka (District of Prizren), Klina (District of Peja) and Drenas (District of Pristina).

See also

• Administrative divisions of Kosovo
• Districts of Kosovo
• Cities and towns in Kosovo
• Populated places in Kosovo
  • Populated places in Kosovo by Albanian name
• Community of Serb Municipalities

External links

• List of websites of the Municipalities of Kosovo
• OSCE Municipal profiles
• Association of Kosovo Municipalities

Notes and References

1. Web site: Organizimi dhe Funksionimi i Vetëqeverisjes Lokale në Kosovë . mapl.rks-gov.net . 2013.
2. Web site: Komunat e Kosovës . kk.rks-gov.net.
3. Web site: Raport Fotografik i Matjes së Territorit të Republikës së Kosovës . https://web.archive.org/web/20181209124523/http://kryeministri-ks.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Raport_Faktografik_Matja_e_territorit_te_Republikes_se_Kosoves_032017.pdf . usurped . December 9, 2018 . kryeministri-ks.net.
4. Web site: Vendbanimet e Komunave të Kosovës. ask.rks-gov.net.
5. Web site: Kosovo Population Census (2011). ask.rks-gov.net.
6. Web site: Albanian Minority Municipalities in Kosovo. ecmikosovo.org.
7. Web site: Population and housing census in Kosovo preliminary results - July 2024 . 21 July 2024.
8. Web site: Rezultatet Përfundimtare të Zgjedhjeve Lokale 2017. kqz-ks.org.
9. Web site: Law on Local Self Government. Constitution of Kosovo.
10. Web site: Community of Serb Municipalities in Kosovo to be formed | InSerbia News . Inserbia.info . 2015-10-30.