The EU Council has appointed Portuguese diplomat Antero Alfarela Oliveira Lopes as the next head of the EU Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX), with a 10-month mandate starting on 10 August 2026.
Lopes will replace Giovanni Pietro Barbano, the Council of the EU announced on Thursday.
His initial term was agreed on 15 July 2026, with an update issued on 17 July 2026 to include the Political and Security Committee (PSC) decision.
The Council described Lopes as a senior international executive specialising in diplomacy, rule of law and security sector governance, with more than four decades of experience.
It said he has worked for more than 25 years with the United Nations, including deployments with the UN Protection Force in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNPROFOR) and six years with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).
What EULEX does in Kosovo
EULEX was launched in 2008 and is the largest civilian mission under the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) — the framework used by the EU for civilian and military missions abroad.
Under its current mandate, the mission carries out monitoring, mentoring and advising of selected rule of law institutions in Kosovo, and has limited executive responsibilities through its Formed Police Unit.
EULEX also supports the Specialist Chambers and Specialist Prosecutor’s Office under Kosovo law.
The Council extended EULEX’s mandate in June 2025 for a further two years, running until 14 June 2027.
