The European Union is preparing a plan for the north of Kosovo in which Serb municipalities would have a joint decision-making mechanism and would receive a degree of financial independence, Pristina newspaper Koha Ditore writes Saturday.

Serb municipalities the north of Kosovo will have a joint decision-making mechanism. They would directly receive a certain percentage of customs duties from crossings with Serbia and in that way would be granted financial autonomy by the government of Kosovo, Koha Ditore quotes unnamed diplomatic sources in Pristina.

The mechanism through which this will be done will be called regional council for the north and will be formed on the basis of the plan drafted by Finland's diplomat Martti Ahtisaari. The municipalities will have a special budget line that will be controlled by Pristina.

The paper said that other details, such as documents, plates, courts and others are to be resolved through dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina with the mediation of the EU.

Koha Ditore says that this would be substantial autonomy for the north of Kosovo, because international officials are reluctant to use the term special status, when referring to actions aimed at resolving the situation in northern Kosovo.

It's not good to joke about themes such as special status. The offered solution would not be aimed at establishing any status or changing it. It should make life easier for citizens in that part of Kosovo, Koha Ditore's sources said.

Financial autonomy should be achieved with the consent of the Kosovo government, while former mediator Ahtisaari's plan should enable the municipalities to form associations, and then the regional council.

The Kosovo government has also confirmed to Koha Ditore that international pressure has been increased for substantial autonomy for the Serbs who live in Zubin Potok, Zvecan, Leposavic and northern Mitrovica.

Our international friends believe that it is impossible to integrate the north after 12 years. In order to avoid armed conflict, they see a special status for north of Kosovo as the best solution, an unnamed Kosovo government official said to Koha Ditore.