EP's Foreign Affairs Committee adopts resolution on Serbia

EP's Foreign Affairs Committee adopts resolution on Serbia

"It is of vital importance for the accession process of Serbia as well as for the credibility of the European Union that a large majority of MEPs support Serbia on its European path," Rapporteur David McAllister said in a statement.

The committee welcomed the progress achieved in 2015 in the normalization of Belgrade-Pristina relations, calling on authorities to implement fully and timely the agreements reached so far, noting that it is one of the conditions for Serbia’s EU accession.

The resolution also welcomes the opening of the EU accession talks and calls on Serbia to pursue systematic reforms, ensure that the work of judges and prosecutors and media is free of political influence, and step up its efforts to fight corruption and organized crime, the European Western Balkans portal reported.

Resolution on Kosovo

The Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament on Thursday adopted a resolution on the 2015 report on Kosovo.

The Committee adopted Rapporteur Ulrike Lunacek's report and the resolution with 37 votes in favour, 12 votes against and nine abstentions.

The EU-Kosovo Association Agreement, ratified by the EP on January 21, is a powerful incentive for reform, paving the way for Kosovo’s EU integration, but high-level corruption, organized crime and labor market reforms are just a few areas of major concern, the resolution states.

The EP also notes that five EU member states have not formally recognised Kosovo, but that, if all member states were to do so, it would "bring more stability to the region and help to normalize relations between Kosovo and Serbia," the European Western Balkans portal reported.

Lunacek noted that the vote sends "a strong signal that the future of an independent Kosovo lies in the European Union," the portal said.

"This report is, however, overshadowed by the sequences of violence in and out of the Kosovo Assembly during the last months," she added.