David Cameron has called on EU leaders not to leave Kosovo in "constitutional limbo".

Ahead of this week's EU summit, the Conservative leader used prime minister's questions on Wednesday to raise the issue with Gordon Brown.

"The deadline for discussions on the future status on Kosovo expired on Monday," he said.

"What does the prime minister expect to happen next?"

Brown replied that there would be discussion of the subject at this week's European Council meeting as "this is a European issue".

"We believe that Kosovo should move to supervised independence," he said.

"It has not been possible between the Kosovans and the Serbians.

"We believe that the European Union must make its resources available to match the forces that are already in Kosovo."

"The Kosovans can have their rights met but in conditions where we do not have violence."

Cameron said "three clear principles" must guide the discussions: not leaving Kosovo in "constitutional limbo"; no re-opening borders "anywhere else in the region"; and using NATO reserve forces to reinforce the troops in Bosnia.

But Brown said it would be "premature to put forces in at this stage".

"This is the last area of the Balkans where we have got to get the arrangements in place that will ensure peace and stability in the future," he said.

He added that Serbia must be persuaded to "work with the European Union".

"We support the supervised independence of the Kosovan people," he said.

"The message is going out loud and clear to Serbia and Russia that this is the course that we wish to take. And I hope that there will be all-party support."