Pristina - Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in February after eight years under UN administration, continues to display "shortcomings" in the rule of law, said a report released on Monday by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

The Kosovo judiciary failed "to properly apply the law and international human rights standards," the report said, resulting "in widespread violations of fair trial standards."

Both police and courts "are often exposed to political interference," the OSCE noted in the report Human Rights, Ethnic Relations and Democracy in Kosovo.

In spite of the billions of dollars the international community has poured into Kosovo since NATO ousted Serbia's military in 1999, "all layers of public security show significant shortcomings in professionally conducting safety assessments and addressing emergency situations due to a lack of equipment and relevant training," the report said.

Kosovo unilaterally announced its split from Serbia in February and has since been recognized by fewer than 50 countries, including the US and the EU. But, backing Serbia, Russia has blocked Kosovo's promotion to recognition in the UN.

Kosovo Albanians make up 90 per cent of the population in Kosovo, although Serbs dominate the northernmost quarter of the territory and continue to resist both the Pristina authorities and the new, law- enforcing EU mission.

Serbia has encouraged the Serbs not to cooperate and has established powerful structures of parallel authority. Both the international security forces and the still-weak Kosovo central government are reluctant to use force in order to assert their authority over northern Kosovo.

The OSCE report noted the heightened tensions and several incidences of violence by Serbs there, but said the security situation remained "remarkably stable."

Local media criticized the report, blasting the OSCE for watering down the assessment of the security conditions in northern Kosovo and for failing to mention the killing of a Ukrainian policeman in Serb riots and injuring of dozens of others. (dpa)