Minister sees "political slowdown" in EU integration

Minister sees "political slowdown" in EU integration

"Chapters 23 and 24 are the most important political chapters. The principle of the EU is that when you negotiate membership you cannot open other chapters until these two had been opened," Joksimovic told RTS on Friday.

According to her, Serbia is disappointed - "because there is so much talk about the rule of law, and then when it comes to the opening of chapters that is not done."

"When you open chapters you measure yourself, where you are and how much you have done in that area, and you give dynamics to reforms. Why is it a problem to open it, when we have done everything up to us," asked Joksimovic.

She noted that "everything in the EU functions at the level of consensus," and that she "personally thinks the two chapters could have been opened yesterday despite Britain and Croatia, had there been more political will."

Speaking late on Thursday, Joksimovic said that Belgrade had been pointing to the possibility of the chapters not being opened, while hoping until the very last day that they might be opened by the end of the Dutch EU presidency, Joksimovic said.

Thursday's news that chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia's accession talks will not be opened would not have come as a surprise had the EU not decided in the meantime to open new chapters with Montenegro and Turkey, she said.

"We would have understood this if there was insufficient coordination as a result of all the developments in the EU at this time and if this had been done with all countries involved in the process," Joksimovic said.

The decision will not derail Serbia from the path towards the EU or reforms, she noted.

"The procedures concerning the opening of chapters 23 and 24 in Serbia's EU accession talks are continuing within working bodies and Serbia is ready to open them immediately, but when they will be opened is up to the EU member states," chief negotiator in Serbia's EU accession negotiations Tanja Miscevic said on Thursday.

The member states need to reach a compromise to enable Serbia to move on in the EU integration process, Miscevic said, thanking the Netherlands, which has held the EU presidency over the past six months, and other member states for their engagement on the matter.

"The member states understood well why it is important to open chapters relating to the rule of law," Miscevic said in Brussels.

"Those are chapters underpinning reforms in society, as well as Serbia's development agenda," she said.

For the time being, there are no precise timeframes for a potential opening of the chapters, but it could happen as early as July, at the beginning of the Slovak EU presidency, she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said EU's decision was "shocking, disgraceful, humiliating," and, "unacceptable."