“EU is incomplete without Serbia”

“EU is incomplete without Serbia”

Well Stephen Wordsworth Serbia is not complete without Kosovo so we'll make you a deal. Serbia will join the EU if you end your occupation of Kosovo?

The British envoy said that Serbia should enjoy all advantages which the membership is offering.
--
Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?

British Ambassador in Belgrade Stephen Wordsworth says that his country wants Serbia to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with it as a member of the EU.

B92

The ambassador has short memory and he doesn't reacall that his own country was the cheer leader in the bombing of Serbia.

The Serbs Mr ambassador are not blind and they see what is happening in Bulgaria and Romania where there has been essentially no improvement in
the economies of these countries and their citizens since EU accession, not to mention my own country Greece which is teetering with debt default.It suffices
to say that Greece's national
debt before EU accession was hovering above 20% of GDP as oppossed to 120% at present.

The truth of the matter is the EU not only cannot admitt
new members but is in danger of losing the existing ones.The kitty is empty and the EU bureaucrats cannot bribe anybody into eu's sphere of influence.

So why should Serbia join a club that is tinkering with death?

Zoran,

Without the EU Serbia will have no future.
(Mircea, 18 June 2010 13:14)
--
Thanks for your indepth explanation Mircea. So the advantage of EU membership is that Serbia will suddenly have a future right? Just one question though, a future of what? Endless debt and handouts?

Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?
(Zoran, 18 June 2010 11:20)

A lot of advantages.

- All products from outside of EU will be much more expensive than now.
- End of customs union with Russia
- IT products can't have 8% VAT like they are now in Serbia, it will be 20%
- The best nurses, doctors, engineers will get a job in UK
- You can get a lot of cheap French wine.
- The food will be much more expensive than it is now
- Salaries won't be a single Para more.
- Miskovic will get even more attractive deals
- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)

I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.

What happened to Serbia having to "choose" between Kosovo or Europe? They renegged when Jeremic gave them an answer they weren't expecting to hear?

Take all the time you need to join the EU Serbia.

“EU is incomplete without Serbia” You are rite it will be much simpler to pull its strings when the Serbia is transformed in to the puppet of the EU. Then all the big members can have fun playing with their new puppet they are getting tired with the old broke puppets. How much money does a puppets make any way to bad they cant go on resistance strike. They keep just smiling shaking their heads in a affirming yes no matter what very sad and so pathetic.

Sounds good. Now when will the Brits remove visas for Serbian citizens. That is the question.

"You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike." (Ataman)

-- But look at how awesome the life of a fish is when it *does* have a motorbike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-mJed_bP0

You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08)
--
Hahahahah..... nice post Ataman...

Mircea, find a post where I have compared Serbia to Switzerland or Norway? I would much prefer to live in Serbia than either of those two countries (no offence to either).

northampton, Serbia currently doesn't need a visa to either the EU (schengen) or Russia. What's your point?

Anyway, as usual, no-one can explain the "advantages" we'll get by joining the EU (expect Ataman of course).

Then why does everybody say that the uk, germany, netherlands, and belgium consistently oppose Serbia's eu membership. As the great Native Americans would say: "Me thinks this white english man speaks with forked tongue". Notice how the uk and us ambassadors don't stay long in Serbia.

And if the education system is reflective of northhampton's comments to this site, we are all doomed.

Pass the vomit bucket!

"stand shoulder-to-shoulder"

I doubt that anyone could ascend to the same high pedestal that silver tongued brits place themselves. Remnants of empire toujours.

His words are very cheap and considering previous 'advice' to Serbia to be a good boy and do what it is told, I still can't take this guy Wordsworth seriously.

What a mighty wind!

"EU is incomplete without Serbia" says Wordsworth.

But Mr Wordsworth could it be the opposite? I tend to believe that
Serbia is totally complete without EU and trully fear that possible joining to EU would make Serbia incomplete in many aspects.

@ Northmapton said
"who needs to go to russia???"

-I need and really wish to visit Russia but it is very expensive. Unfortnately I missed few very good oportunities while I was studing.

shoulder to shoulder?

first revoke your laughable "recognition", then we can talk at all.

before that, you may dream to be allowed to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Serbia.

unbelievable.

"...who needs to go to russia???"

It is not as if Russia is an undeveloped market of 140 million people. Go to IBM's head offices in Poland and ask them why they require all prosepective job applicants to have russian on their resume? Of course Russia has much more to offer, but then what would one expect from a country that spans 11 time zones and has nowhere nearly exploited its rich resources unlike some other states...

Zoran,

Is the standard of living in Serbia similar to the one in Switzerland and Norway?

Serbia does not have the luxury to remain outside the EU since it is a poor country.

According to you, Serbia is an economic powerhouse which has everything it needs. I don't think this is the case.

Here in Norway we live happily without the EU. About the the only people that want us to join is a few career bureaucrats who lose career opportunities by being outside.

If Serbia can get a good free trade agreement with the EU and visa free travel, I think there is no real advantages of joining.

Don´t take my word for it. You should really have a close look on what the Eu has meant for Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia etc. before you decide.

“British Ambassador in Belgrade Stephen Wordsworth says that his country wants Serbia to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with it as a member of the EU.”

Who is this man???? It’s as if the UK’s representative matters in the scheme of things. The only reason it wants to “stand shoulder to shoulder is to try and pick Serbia’s pockets.
Here is my answer to that statement – go to hell and hug your Albanian allies not us. You see how the west operates while on top it treats you like a servant but when it’s starting to wabble then it’s “shoulder to shoulder”.
Stephen Wordsworth you have more to worry about at home then what Serbia is going to do. While you’re at it you might explain to the Serbs about the benefits of joining the penniless EU. All they talk about is some sort of benefits but they never say exactly what those benefits are.
Have a look at the guest list – Kandic. There is nothing worse than a “convert” to democracy and freedom and she is the worst – Dacic; a member of government during the day but visits Slobodan Milosevic’s grave at night – Nikolic; a man that could not get enough payola while in the Radical Party now heads another on behalf of the West and at the appropriate time will try and create division between the opposition thus keep the current government in power – Sutanovic; a fully paid up NATO representative.

Zoran,

Without the EU Serbia will have no future.

Yesterday Iceland obtained EU candidate status. Iceland will start accession negotiations with the EU soon.

The Eurozone will also expand on 1 January 2011 when Estonia will adopt the Euro.

Romania and Bulgaria will join the Schengen Area on 27 March 2011.

Long live the European Union!

- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)

I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08) you must be comedian.who needs to go to russia???which way is the best??visa to russia or visa to EU?i know you clever becouse you immigrated to USA not soviet union.

But look at how awesome the life of a fish is when it *does* have a motorbike.

[link]
(Mike, 18 June 2010 20:23)

That's a "sui genesis" type of fish.

---------

I need and really wish to visit Russia but it is very expensive. Unfortnately I missed few very good oportunities while I was studing.
(Biljana, 18 June 2010 20:24)

It's not. Ask people, why it's not. Of course, living in downtown Moscow is very expensive. But you can live 30-40 minutes "Beovoz" ride from the city center (nearly the same trains like on Beovoz, just modernized) for much less.

Also you can live in rural settings paying $10-$20 for a house. There are of course five-star hotels in Moscow where a room is over $1000/night - but no one forces you to live in such place. To tell the truth, I would feel very uncomfortable to be there even if someone would pay my hotel simply because I have no idea how to behave in such places.

"The British envoy said that Serbia should enjoy all advantages which the membership is offering.
--
Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?"
(Zoran, 18 June 2010 11:20)

Zoran,
1)Accession funds, numbering billions of euros. These are given to aspiring EU members to help them get in track. In the cases of Bulgaria and Romania they were misused, you guys need to put much more control on how they are spent. You know, the issue of corruption..If Serbia does not fight its corruption they will be misused again. Why do you think B92 reports day in day out about this guy and that guy from Serbian government talking about "the fight of corruption is the number one priority in Serbia"?

2)Laws in line with the EU for consumer protection, judiciary, environmental laws (do you know the level of pollution in the Danube in Serbia for example? You should read about it). Those accession funds are a good incentive to implement those laws, so far all Balkan countries have lacked behind others in doing so.

3) Free movement of people and goods, not just three month visas without the possibility to work.

Ataman said:
"A lot of advantages.

- All products from outside of EU will be much more expensive than now. "

Like Chinese cars for instance..We all know Belgraders are very fond of Chinese cars. Just joking just joking.

"- End of customs union with Russia"

You need to bring some figure of the volume of import and export with Russia that supports your claim to make that sound like a bad thing.

"- IT products can't have 8% VAT like they are now in Serbia, it will be 20%"
Are you sure about that? And how would that be bad? More money to the state with taxes would mean more state investments and more money to pay pensions. On the other hand more taxes would mean more resistance to hiring. This, assuming taxes are paid in full. It is the same old conflict all countries have, inside the EU or outside the EU. We would need somebody to tell us the state of the social welfare in Serbia too.

"- The best nurses, doctors, engineers will get a job in UK"
No the best ones will stay where they are, they probably already have good jobs, the worst ones will have more opportunities in the EU, not the UK which is not in Schengen yet. I would leave the choices to the doctors nurses and engineers themselves.

"- You can get a lot of cheap French wine."
Don't forget that Slivovits will cost less where you live :).

"- The food will be much more expensive than it is now"
How so?

"- Salaries won't be a single Para more."
Why? Remittances will increase.

"- Miskovic will get even more attractive deals"
Miskovic will get a lot more competition.

"- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)"
This tops all those other disadvantages..it would be the biggest disgrace..:)

"I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08)"

I see a lot more opportunities...for the good doctors and for the bad ones..
For Miskovic and the people employed by him too..

By the way, since what I am saying might seem as biased by that other question to you, you can continue your "fight for Kosovo"..Jeremic will get part of those billions of euros and travel the world much more in his quest for becoming the number one in Serbia..Wouldn't you like that?

Zoran,

Without the EU Serbia will have no future.

Yesterday Iceland obtained EU candidate status. Iceland will start accession negotiations with the EU soon.

The Eurozone will also expand on 1 January 2011 when Estonia will adopt the Euro.

Romania and Bulgaria will join the Schengen Area on 27 March 2011.

Long live the European Union!

- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)

I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08) you must be comedian.who needs to go to russia???which way is the best??visa to russia or visa to EU?i know you clever becouse you immigrated to USA not soviet union.

Zoran,

Is the standard of living in Serbia similar to the one in Switzerland and Norway?

Serbia does not have the luxury to remain outside the EU since it is a poor country.

According to you, Serbia is an economic powerhouse which has everything it needs. I don't think this is the case.

“EU is incomplete without Serbia”

Well Stephen Wordsworth Serbia is not complete without Kosovo so we'll make you a deal. Serbia will join the EU if you end your occupation of Kosovo?

And if the education system is reflective of northhampton's comments to this site, we are all doomed.

Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?
(Zoran, 18 June 2010 11:20)

A lot of advantages.

- All products from outside of EU will be much more expensive than now.
- End of customs union with Russia
- IT products can't have 8% VAT like they are now in Serbia, it will be 20%
- The best nurses, doctors, engineers will get a job in UK
- You can get a lot of cheap French wine.
- The food will be much more expensive than it is now
- Salaries won't be a single Para more.
- Miskovic will get even more attractive deals
- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)

I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.

Zoran,

Without the EU Serbia will have no future.
(Mircea, 18 June 2010 13:14)
--
Thanks for your indepth explanation Mircea. So the advantage of EU membership is that Serbia will suddenly have a future right? Just one question though, a future of what? Endless debt and handouts?

“EU is incomplete without Serbia” You are rite it will be much simpler to pull its strings when the Serbia is transformed in to the puppet of the EU. Then all the big members can have fun playing with their new puppet they are getting tired with the old broke puppets. How much money does a puppets make any way to bad they cant go on resistance strike. They keep just smiling shaking their heads in a affirming yes no matter what very sad and so pathetic.

The British envoy said that Serbia should enjoy all advantages which the membership is offering.
--
Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?

British Ambassador in Belgrade Stephen Wordsworth says that his country wants Serbia to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with it as a member of the EU.

B92

The ambassador has short memory and he doesn't reacall that his own country was the cheer leader in the bombing of Serbia.

The Serbs Mr ambassador are not blind and they see what is happening in Bulgaria and Romania where there has been essentially no improvement in
the economies of these countries and their citizens since EU accession, not to mention my own country Greece which is teetering with debt default.It suffices
to say that Greece's national
debt before EU accession was hovering above 20% of GDP as oppossed to 120% at present.

The truth of the matter is the EU not only cannot admitt
new members but is in danger of losing the existing ones.The kitty is empty and the EU bureaucrats cannot bribe anybody into eu's sphere of influence.

So why should Serbia join a club that is tinkering with death?

Then why does everybody say that the uk, germany, netherlands, and belgium consistently oppose Serbia's eu membership. As the great Native Americans would say: "Me thinks this white english man speaks with forked tongue". Notice how the uk and us ambassadors don't stay long in Serbia.

You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08)
--
Hahahahah..... nice post Ataman...

Mircea, find a post where I have compared Serbia to Switzerland or Norway? I would much prefer to live in Serbia than either of those two countries (no offence to either).

northampton, Serbia currently doesn't need a visa to either the EU (schengen) or Russia. What's your point?

Anyway, as usual, no-one can explain the "advantages" we'll get by joining the EU (expect Ataman of course).

Pass the vomit bucket!

"stand shoulder-to-shoulder"

I doubt that anyone could ascend to the same high pedestal that silver tongued brits place themselves. Remnants of empire toujours.

His words are very cheap and considering previous 'advice' to Serbia to be a good boy and do what it is told, I still can't take this guy Wordsworth seriously.

What a mighty wind!

"...who needs to go to russia???"

It is not as if Russia is an undeveloped market of 140 million people. Go to IBM's head offices in Poland and ask them why they require all prosepective job applicants to have russian on their resume? Of course Russia has much more to offer, but then what would one expect from a country that spans 11 time zones and has nowhere nearly exploited its rich resources unlike some other states...

"You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike." (Ataman)

-- But look at how awesome the life of a fish is when it *does* have a motorbike.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz-mJed_bP0

What happened to Serbia having to "choose" between Kosovo or Europe? They renegged when Jeremic gave them an answer they weren't expecting to hear?

Take all the time you need to join the EU Serbia.

Sounds good. Now when will the Brits remove visas for Serbian citizens. That is the question.

"EU is incomplete without Serbia" says Wordsworth.

But Mr Wordsworth could it be the opposite? I tend to believe that
Serbia is totally complete without EU and trully fear that possible joining to EU would make Serbia incomplete in many aspects.

@ Northmapton said
"who needs to go to russia???"

-I need and really wish to visit Russia but it is very expensive. Unfortnately I missed few very good oportunities while I was studing.

shoulder to shoulder?

first revoke your laughable "recognition", then we can talk at all.

before that, you may dream to be allowed to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Serbia.

unbelievable.

But look at how awesome the life of a fish is when it *does* have a motorbike.

[link]
(Mike, 18 June 2010 20:23)

That's a "sui genesis" type of fish.

---------

I need and really wish to visit Russia but it is very expensive. Unfortnately I missed few very good oportunities while I was studing.
(Biljana, 18 June 2010 20:24)

It's not. Ask people, why it's not. Of course, living in downtown Moscow is very expensive. But you can live 30-40 minutes "Beovoz" ride from the city center (nearly the same trains like on Beovoz, just modernized) for much less.

Also you can live in rural settings paying $10-$20 for a house. There are of course five-star hotels in Moscow where a room is over $1000/night - but no one forces you to live in such place. To tell the truth, I would feel very uncomfortable to be there even if someone would pay my hotel simply because I have no idea how to behave in such places.

“British Ambassador in Belgrade Stephen Wordsworth says that his country wants Serbia to “stand shoulder-to-shoulder” with it as a member of the EU.”

Who is this man???? It’s as if the UK’s representative matters in the scheme of things. The only reason it wants to “stand shoulder to shoulder is to try and pick Serbia’s pockets.
Here is my answer to that statement – go to hell and hug your Albanian allies not us. You see how the west operates while on top it treats you like a servant but when it’s starting to wabble then it’s “shoulder to shoulder”.
Stephen Wordsworth you have more to worry about at home then what Serbia is going to do. While you’re at it you might explain to the Serbs about the benefits of joining the penniless EU. All they talk about is some sort of benefits but they never say exactly what those benefits are.
Have a look at the guest list – Kandic. There is nothing worse than a “convert” to democracy and freedom and she is the worst – Dacic; a member of government during the day but visits Slobodan Milosevic’s grave at night – Nikolic; a man that could not get enough payola while in the Radical Party now heads another on behalf of the West and at the appropriate time will try and create division between the opposition thus keep the current government in power – Sutanovic; a fully paid up NATO representative.

Here in Norway we live happily without the EU. About the the only people that want us to join is a few career bureaucrats who lose career opportunities by being outside.

If Serbia can get a good free trade agreement with the EU and visa free travel, I think there is no real advantages of joining.

Don´t take my word for it. You should really have a close look on what the Eu has meant for Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia etc. before you decide.

"The British envoy said that Serbia should enjoy all advantages which the membership is offering.
--
Exactly what advantages will Serbia enjoy as an EU member that we don't already have?"
(Zoran, 18 June 2010 11:20)

Zoran,
1)Accession funds, numbering billions of euros. These are given to aspiring EU members to help them get in track. In the cases of Bulgaria and Romania they were misused, you guys need to put much more control on how they are spent. You know, the issue of corruption..If Serbia does not fight its corruption they will be misused again. Why do you think B92 reports day in day out about this guy and that guy from Serbian government talking about "the fight of corruption is the number one priority in Serbia"?

2)Laws in line with the EU for consumer protection, judiciary, environmental laws (do you know the level of pollution in the Danube in Serbia for example? You should read about it). Those accession funds are a good incentive to implement those laws, so far all Balkan countries have lacked behind others in doing so.

3) Free movement of people and goods, not just three month visas without the possibility to work.

Ataman said:
"A lot of advantages.

- All products from outside of EU will be much more expensive than now. "

Like Chinese cars for instance..We all know Belgraders are very fond of Chinese cars. Just joking just joking.

"- End of customs union with Russia"

You need to bring some figure of the volume of import and export with Russia that supports your claim to make that sound like a bad thing.

"- IT products can't have 8% VAT like they are now in Serbia, it will be 20%"
Are you sure about that? And how would that be bad? More money to the state with taxes would mean more state investments and more money to pay pensions. On the other hand more taxes would mean more resistance to hiring. This, assuming taxes are paid in full. It is the same old conflict all countries have, inside the EU or outside the EU. We would need somebody to tell us the state of the social welfare in Serbia too.

"- The best nurses, doctors, engineers will get a job in UK"
No the best ones will stay where they are, they probably already have good jobs, the worst ones will have more opportunities in the EU, not the UK which is not in Schengen yet. I would leave the choices to the doctors nurses and engineers themselves.

"- You can get a lot of cheap French wine."
Don't forget that Slivovits will cost less where you live :).

"- The food will be much more expensive than it is now"
How so?

"- Salaries won't be a single Para more."
Why? Remittances will increase.

"- Miskovic will get even more attractive deals"
Miskovic will get a lot more competition.

"- You will need a visa to Russia (That's a terrific way to spend 35 Euro)"
This tops all those other disadvantages..it would be the biggest disgrace..:)

"I see only advantages. European Union is the very best you can have. Go for it, regardless of price you pay. You can't live without EU like a fish can't live without a motorbike.
(Ataman, 18 June 2010 16:08)"

I see a lot more opportunities...for the good doctors and for the bad ones..
For Miskovic and the people employed by him too..

By the way, since what I am saying might seem as biased by that other question to you, you can continue your "fight for Kosovo"..Jeremic will get part of those billions of euros and travel the world much more in his quest for becoming the number one in Serbia..Wouldn't you like that?