An EU police and justice mission to Kosovo has been agreed by all 27 member states within 24 hours of Serbia's presidential election coming to an end.
No launch date has yet been Kosovo's independence 'in days' ...
Kosovo to declare independence after Serbian election-diplomat ...
Serbia and Kosovo in a Deadlock Over Independence ... given although that is likely to be decided by EU foreign ministers on 18 February.
The BBC's Oana Lungescu says the mission was approved in writing before a Monday deadline so as not to interfere with the polls in Serbia.
Kosovo is expected to declare independence in the next few weeks.
Cyprus and Romania said the mission had to be approved after the election and before Kosovo declared independence because they would otherwise have a problem with the legal basis of the mission.
Both countries have already emphasised they will not recognise a unilateral declaration of independence.
The EU's 1,800 police and legal officials will take over from the United Nations in Kosovo, under UN Security Council resolution 1244 which refers to an international security presence.
The 16,000-strong Nato force will remain in Kosovo.
As soon as a date is finalised, the EU will have 120 days to deploy its staff.
The BBC understands that the mission will be called EULEX Kosovo and will cost 205m euros for the first 16 months.
Sources say the EU has agreed to appoint Dutch diplomat Peter Feith as EU special representative to Kosovo.
(BBC)
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