[JURIST] UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile; JURIST news archive] Thursday released a report [PDF text; UN News Centre report] outlining plans to give the European Union (EU) a greater role in implementing the rule of law in Kosovo. The report, delivered to the UN Security Council, stated that the UN will scale down its Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) [official website], turning over increased policing and judicial responsibilities to EU authorities. The announcement comes after Kosovo made its unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia [text; JURIST report] in February. It is scheduled to adopt a new constitution on Sunday. AP has more. BBC News has additional coverage.

Ban's report drew criticism [RIA Novosti report] from Russia, which insists that such an EU role in Kosovo would be illegal. In February, Russia condemned the EU decision to send a task force of police, prosecutors and judges into Kosovo to support the rule of law after the expiration of the current UN mandate, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov calling it a breach of international law [JURIST reports]. Reuters has more.