EP: Serbia within touching distance of Schengen

Serbia can accede to the Schengen visa regime if it signs the SAA by March, says Jelko Kacin.

Izvor: Tanjug

Friday, 11.01.2008.

10:02

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Serbia can accede to the Schengen visa regime if it signs the SAA by March, says Jelko Kacin. “It’s essential that Serbia prepares new travel documents and meets all the technical conditions,” the European Parliament (EP) rapporteur for Serbia told daily Blic. EP: Serbia within touching distance of Schengen “States that don’t sign the agreement cannot expect visa relaxations. We expect the Schengen regime to be fully applied for new members in March, and if Serbia meets all the conditions by then, it will be on that list,” he said. Kacin stressed that signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would open new opportunities for Serbia. If the state makes progress, agreement can be reached that Serbia can become an associate EU member from the day it signs the agreement. “You then get relaxations in exchange of goods, free passage of citizens, goods, capital, ideas and services,” explained Kacin. “If the agreement’s signed, we’ll quickly organize a donors conference for Serbia. We would prepare further bigger projects, and during the French presidency, from July 1, these would turn into concrete actions,” the EP rapporteur said. He added that it was operatively possible to implement those plans within six months, but that a condition was full Hague cooperation. Kacin confirmed that a working group for Serbia would be set up as soon as possible, whose first task would be to assist Serbia in achieving full cooperation. The working group will include the Slovenian and French foreign ministers, the current and future EU presidencies, as well as Council of Europe and European Commission representatives. For the time being, they would deal purely with Hague cooperation, the EP rapporteur pointed out.

EP: Serbia within touching distance of Schengen

“States that don’t sign the agreement cannot expect visa relaxations. We expect the Schengen regime to be fully applied for new members in March, and if Serbia meets all the conditions by then, it will be on that list,” he said.

Kacin stressed that signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) would open new opportunities for Serbia.

If the state makes progress, agreement can be reached that Serbia can become an associate EU member from the day it signs the agreement.

“You then get relaxations in exchange of goods, free passage of citizens, goods, capital, ideas and services,” explained Kacin.

“If the agreement’s signed, we’ll quickly organize a donors conference for Serbia. We would prepare further bigger projects, and during the French presidency, from July 1, these would turn into concrete actions,” the EP rapporteur said.

He added that it was operatively possible to implement those plans within six months, but that a condition was full Hague cooperation.

Kacin confirmed that a working group for Serbia would be set up as soon as possible, whose first task would be to assist Serbia in achieving full cooperation.

The working group will include the Slovenian and French foreign ministers, the current and future EU presidencies, as well as Council of Europe and European Commission representatives.

For the time being, they would deal purely with Hague cooperation, the EP rapporteur pointed out.

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