Eide will assess whether Kosovo has attained the standards of democracy, human and minority rights, security and the rule of law set by the UN as a precondition for opening talks on the final status of the southern Serbian province.
The UN has administered the province since the end of the armed conflict between Serbian forces and ethnic Albanian guerrillas in 1999. The majority ethnic Albanian population of Kosovo wants independence for the province, while Belgrade advocates the "more than autonomy, less than independence" formula.
Eide, former UN envoy to Bosnia-Herzegovina and expert on the Balkans, will embark on a comprehensive assessment mission this summer to determine whether or not Kosovo is ready for final status talks, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.