Serbia one step closer to EU, commissioner says

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule says Serbia is one step closer to the EU and that the beginning of the accession negotiations is now within reach. In an article published in daily Blic, he pointed out that Serbia had worked hard to get the EC recommendation for obtaining the EU candidate status. Serbia one step closer to EU, commissioner says “That’s why I want to commend Serbia for all reforms, progress and political effort that brought Belgrade to this point. Perspective to open the accession negotiations is now within reach,” Fule stated. “Bearing in mind the exceptional progress which was made in reforms, with understanding that Serbia will again engage in the dialogue with Kosovo and that it will quickly and with good will start the implementation of the agreements which have been achieved until today, the Commission has recommended that Serbia become the EU candidate status,” the enlargement commissioner stressed. He also pointed to the key bills Serbia had adopted, judiciary reform, macroeconomic stability and added that everybody would benefit from “increasingly more predictable economic environment”. “Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic's extradition to the Hague Tribunal and President Boris Tadic's historic visit to Srebrenica and Vukovar show that Serbia is facing the past and improving reconciliation in the region,“ the enlargement commissioner said. According to Fule, the next challenge is opening of the accession negotiations. “In the months ahead of us we will make an effort to work on achieving the goal with Serbia,” he pointed out. “However, the dialogue with Pristina remains the open issue,” Fule said and added that “solutions for all open and difficult issues can be based on the dialogue and cooperation as European values if solutions that would have a positive influence on the lives of the people who depend on them would be found and implemented”. “The EU believes in Serbia. We also believe that Belgrade can face all these difficult issues and that it can move forward in the EU accession negotiations,” the enlargement commissioner stressed. Fule will arrive in Belgrade on Thursday to present the report on Serbia's progress to Serbian officials, Tanjug was told by Fule's office. Fule will discuss the report and the Commission's recommendation that Serbia be given EU candidate status with Serbian President Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and parliament Speaker Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic. They will also talk about the steps Serbia needs to take in order to start the process of negotiations for EU membership, the commissioner's office said. The 140-page report which the European Commission published on Wednesday talks in detail about everything Serbia has done to come closer to European standards and also points to problems in certain areas. Fule will also speak at a meeting of the Igman Initiative taking place Friday in Belgrade. Stefan Fule (Tanjug)

Serbia one step closer to EU, commissioner says

“That’s why I want to commend Serbia for all reforms, progress and political effort that brought Belgrade to this point. Perspective to open the accession negotiations is now within reach,” Fule stated.

“Bearing in mind the exceptional progress which was made in reforms, with understanding that Serbia will again engage in the dialogue with Kosovo and that it will quickly and with good will start the implementation of the agreements which have been achieved until today, the Commission has recommended that Serbia become the EU candidate status,” the enlargement commissioner stressed.

He also pointed to the key bills Serbia had adopted, judiciary reform, macroeconomic stability and added that everybody would benefit from “increasingly more predictable economic environment”.

“Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić's extradition to the Hague Tribunal and President Boris Tadić's historic visit to Srebrenica and Vukovar show that Serbia is facing the past and improving reconciliation in the region,“ the enlargement commissioner said.

According to Fule, the next challenge is opening of the accession negotiations.

“In the months ahead of us we will make an effort to work on achieving the goal with Serbia,” he pointed out.

“However, the dialogue with Priština remains the open issue,” Fule said and added that “solutions for all open and difficult issues can be based on the dialogue and cooperation as European values if solutions that would have a positive influence on the lives of the people who depend on them would be found and implemented”.

“The EU believes in Serbia. We also believe that Belgrade can face all these difficult issues and that it can move forward in the EU accession negotiations,” the enlargement commissioner stressed.

Fule will arrive in Belgrade on Thursday to present the report on Serbia's progress to Serbian officials, Tanjug was told by Fule's office.

Fule will discuss the report and the Commission's recommendation that Serbia be given EU candidate status with Serbian President Boris Tadić, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković and parliament Speaker Slavica Đukić-Dejanović.

They will also talk about the steps Serbia needs to take in order to start the process of negotiations for EU membership, the commissioner's office said.

The 140-page report which the European Commission published on Wednesday talks in detail about everything Serbia has done to come closer to European standards and also points to problems in certain areas.

Fule will also speak at a meeting of the Igman Initiative taking place Friday in Belgrade.