Serbian delegation continues Brussels visit

The Serbian delegation visiting Brussels, headed by Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, will confer with EU Commissioner for Justice Viviane Reding. On Monday, Cvetkovic presented the answers to the EC questionnaire to the EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule. Serbian delegation continues Brussels visit Fule underlined that this was "a historic day for Serbia" and assessed that Brussels could pass its opinion in the annual progress report on October 12. Cvetkovic said that in the first half of the year Serbia has to resolve all the issues indicated in EC report on Serbia's progress, if it wants to acquire the candidate status by the end of 2011. The prime minister pointed to the fact that this process encompasses "a wide scope of activities" ranging from completion of judiciary reform, adoption of a new election law, abolition of blank resignations, to passing of a new law on assets. "Serbia must fulfill these goals in the first half of the year if it wants to obtain the candidate status and the exact date for the commencement of accession negotiations," Cvetkovic said adding that the country also ought to improve its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). The Serbian delegation to Brussels also comprises Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bzzidar Djelic, Justice Minister Snezana Malovic and Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delevic. “I expect that after the meeting, the EC officials will have an understanding of all the aspects and the volume of the reforms started to date. The judiciary reform will not be a stumbling block either for candidate status or for EU membership,” Malovic said in a statement for Tanjug. Noting that the election of judicial officials is important, but not the only segment of the justice system reform, Malovic said that the EC Directorate-General for Justice and Fundamental Rights will be informed of the readiness of Serbia's Justice Ministry, the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors Council to reconsider the decisions made in the general judicial election in December 2009 and thereby remove all doubt as to the their validity. According to her, EC officials will be invited to monitor the continuation of the judiciary reform and activities undertaken in the area. “Since Serbia is still not a membership candidate, the meeting will be of great importance, because we will present the goals, plans and the results achieved in the judiciary reform in the past year, as well as the activities we will start in September to remove all doubt as to validity of the judiciary reform,” Malovic noted.

Serbian delegation continues Brussels visit

Fule underlined that this was "a historic day for Serbia" and assessed that Brussels could pass its opinion in the annual progress report on October 12.

Cvetković said that in the first half of the year Serbia has to resolve all the issues indicated in EC report on Serbia's progress, if it wants to acquire the candidate status by the end of 2011.

The prime minister pointed to the fact that this process encompasses "a wide scope of activities" ranging from completion of judiciary reform, adoption of a new election law, abolition of blank resignations, to passing of a new law on assets.

"Serbia must fulfill these goals in the first half of the year if it wants to obtain the candidate status and the exact date for the commencement of accession negotiations," Cvetković said adding that the country also ought to improve its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).

The Serbian delegation to Brussels also comprises Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Bžzidar Đelić, Justice Minister Snežana Malović and Director of the EU Integration Office Milica Delević.

“I expect that after the meeting, the EC officials will have an understanding of all the aspects and the volume of the reforms started to date. The judiciary reform will not be a stumbling block either for candidate status or for EU membership,” Malović said in a statement for Tanjug.

Noting that the election of judicial officials is important, but not the only segment of the justice system reform, Malović said that the EC Directorate-General for Justice and Fundamental Rights will be informed of the readiness of Serbia's Justice Ministry, the High Judicial Council and the State Prosecutors Council to reconsider the decisions made in the general judicial election in December 2009 and thereby remove all doubt as to the their validity.

According to her, EC officials will be invited to monitor the continuation of the judiciary reform and activities undertaken in the area.

“Since Serbia is still not a membership candidate, the meeting will be of great importance, because we will present the goals, plans and the results achieved in the judiciary reform in the past year, as well as the activities we will start in September to remove all doubt as to validity of the judiciary reform,” Malović noted.