These institutions - courts, tax offices, police, intelligence agencies - represent the most difficult issue in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, so the negotiations could continue tomorrow.
In conclusions on enlargement adopted in December, the EU called on the two countries to ensure in north Kosovo structures that will meet the local population's security and judicial needs transparently and in cooperation. The EU believes these structures should ensure a uniform institutional and administrative organisation of Kosovo.
Ashton met separately with Dacic and Thaci, after which the three officials met together.
Before that, Thaci met with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
Concrete results in dialogue are the key for progress towards the EU for both Kosovo and Serbia, Van Rompuy said afterwards.
Serbia has had accession candidate status since last March. The next step is for it to be given a date for the start of accession talks, while Kosovo has to begin negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
The EC will release on April 16 a report on the progress achieved in the dialogue, so the two countries are expected to reach an agreement prior to that. The agreement will not suffice for both countries to be given a green light, they are expected to provide proof that it is being implemented.
Speaking to the press with Barroso, Thaci said "Kosovo and Serbia aren't in Brussels today to defeat each other but to find a common language, an agreement on how to make progress in Euro-Atlantic integration."