Đelić expects positive EC report

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic expects the European Commission to confirm that Serbia has met all the remaining criteria for visa liberalization. "96 percent of the National EU Integration Program has been completed, which is why Serbia expects a positive report from the EC on its progress towards European integration," said Djelic. Djelic expects positive EC report He said that efforts made to adopt laws would continue in future, in spite of the scaled-down administration and problems with the budget. “There’s no time to take our foot off the gas, as an active fourth quarter of the year lies ahead. Three ministries are bearing the biggest burden: the Finance, Agriculture and Environment Ministries. Working on this program, Serbia is best demonstrating its commitment to European integration,” said Djelic. He added that the EC technical mission to Serbia would have a busy schedule. “I expect that, at the meeting we’ll have with the mission on Friday where we’ll go over their contacts, we’ll both note that the report is genuine and that, as a result, all the remaining conditions for Serbia to move on to the white Schengen have been met,” the minister predicted. Djelic said that the EC mission would be assessing in the field whether all the elements that the government had highlighted in its visa liberalization progress report were in place. That report was sent to the EC in late September and submitted to EC Vice-President Jacques Barrot during his visit to Belgrade. The EC’s expert mission will be in Serbia until October 26. Barrot, who is the commissioner for justice, freedom and security, said in Belgrade recently that Serbia had made progress towards visa liberalization, but that the expert group would have the final say during its visit to Belgrade in mid-October. Barrot said that, on December 1, the EC would be proposing the abolition of visas for Serbia’s citizens starting from January 1 provided the expert group returned a positive report. Bozidar Djelic (FoNet, archive)

Đelić expects positive EC report

He said that efforts made to adopt laws would continue in future, in spite of the scaled-down administration and problems with the budget.

“There’s no time to take our foot off the gas, as an active fourth quarter of the year lies ahead. Three ministries are bearing the biggest burden: the Finance, Agriculture and Environment Ministries. Working on this program, Serbia is best demonstrating its commitment to European integration,” said Đelić.

He added that the EC technical mission to Serbia would have a busy schedule.

“I expect that, at the meeting we’ll have with the mission on Friday where we’ll go over their contacts, we’ll both note that the report is genuine and that, as a result, all the remaining conditions for Serbia to move on to the white Schengen have been met,” the minister predicted.

Đelić said that the EC mission would be assessing in the field whether all the elements that the government had highlighted in its visa liberalization progress report were in place. That report was sent to the EC in late September and submitted to EC Vice-President Jacques Barrot during his visit to Belgrade.

The EC’s expert mission will be in Serbia until October 26. Barrot, who is the commissioner for justice, freedom and security, said in Belgrade recently that Serbia had made progress towards visa liberalization, but that the expert group would have the final say during its visit to Belgrade in mid-October.

Barrot said that, on December 1, the EC would be proposing the abolition of visas for Serbia’s citizens starting from January 1 provided the expert group returned a positive report.