EC to publish opinion on Serbian membership bid

The European Commission (EC) will on Wednesday in Brussels publish its opinion on Serbia's bid to become a candidate for membership. Belgrade's Vecernje Novosti newspaper wrote on Monday that a draft opinion proposed the granting of membership, but not giving a date for starting membership talks. EC to publish opinion on Serbian membership bid The newspaper's sources said that France and Germany were "negotiating" on the matter, and that France was seeking support for giving Montenegro a date, while Germany wanted France to back its hard line on Serbia in return. Berlin wants Belgrade to "give up on the court in Kosovska Mitrovica" - in the majority Serb part of Kosovo in the north - in order to become a candidate for EU membership in December, and then to "hand over (Serb) municipalities in the north" in order to be given a date for membership talks. Belgrade-based Blic newspaper, however, writes that Germany has four conditions it set before Serbia, which the daily said German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented to Serbian President Boris Tadic in August: to continue Belgrade-Pristina talks unconditionally, to reach agreement on regional representation of Kosovo, telecom and electricity, for the Kosovo Albanian authorities to take over the court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, and to start dismantling "parallel institutions". The last point relates to Serbian institutions in the north of the province, where the local Serb majority rejects the authority of the government in Pristina and the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008. Vecernje Novosti is quoting unofficial statements made by Serbia officials that this was "the first time EU members have been meddling in the work of the EC in this manner", and that their goal was to relay some responsibility for blocking Serbia's candidate status and negotiations date, even though the country "deserves them according to all criteria". Beta news agency reported on Monday, quoting its diplomatic and EU sources that until the opinion itself is released, "developments in northern Kosovo and the related and desired renewal of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue would be carefully followed and assessed". The news agency said that Germany and Britain in particular "seek that resolving Belgrade-Pristina relations be set in motion irreversibly" - "and are consequently prepared to hold out until the end not only on setting a date for launching accession talks, but to some extent even on Serbia's candidate member status". The report added that another option that was being considered "not solely within the European Commission" was to give Belgrade "a conditional negotiations date hinging on it showing palpable progress in relations with Pristina". The final decision on Serbia's progress will be made by the EU council of minister on December 9.

EC to publish opinion on Serbian membership bid

The newspaper's sources said that France and Germany were "negotiating" on the matter, and that France was seeking support for giving Montenegro a date, while Germany wanted France to back its hard line on Serbia in return.

Berlin wants Belgrade to "give up on the court in Kosovska Mitrovica" - in the majority Serb part of Kosovo in the north - in order to become a candidate for EU membership in December, and then to "hand over (Serb) municipalities in the north" in order to be given a date for membership talks.

Belgrade-based Blic newspaper, however, writes that Germany has four conditions it set before Serbia, which the daily said German Chancellor Angela Merkel presented to Serbian President Boris Tadić in August: to continue Belgrade-Priština talks unconditionally, to reach agreement on regional representation of Kosovo, telecom and electricity, for the Kosovo Albanian authorities to take over the court in northern Kosovska Mitrovica, and to start dismantling "parallel institutions".

The last point relates to Serbian institutions in the north of the province, where the local Serb majority rejects the authority of the government in Priština and the Kosovo Albanian unilateral declaration of independence made in early 2008.

Večernje Novosti is quoting unofficial statements made by Serbia officials that this was "the first time EU members have been meddling in the work of the EC in this manner", and that their goal was to relay some responsibility for blocking Serbia's candidate status and negotiations date, even though the country "deserves them according to all criteria".

Beta news agency reported on Monday, quoting its diplomatic and EU sources that until the opinion itself is released, "developments in northern Kosovo and the related and desired renewal of the Belgrade-Priština dialogue would be carefully followed and assessed".

The news agency said that Germany and Britain in particular "seek that resolving Belgrade-Priština relations be set in motion irreversibly" - "and are consequently prepared to hold out until the end not only on setting a date for launching accession talks, but to some extent even on Serbia's candidate member status".

The report added that another option that was being considered "not solely within the European Commission" was to give Belgrade "a conditional negotiations date hinging on it showing palpable progress in relations with Priština".

The final decision on Serbia's progress will be made by the EU council of minister on December 9.