EU rapporteur urges adoption of new laws

European Parliament rapporteur Jelko Kacin says that Serbia still has a lot to do on its path to European integration. Kacin told a news conference at the parliament building Wednesday that he was satisfied with his visit to Belgrade and with the progress made in the legislative sector, although he stressed that he was disappointed that more laws had not yet been passed. EU rapporteur urges adoption of new laws "The government must now tackle its biggest task of preparing laws, so that parliament can adopt them and so things can move forward," said Kacin. He stated he was glad that parliament had chosen an ombudsman and that the sector linked to access to information of public importance had been brought into order. Kacin reiterated that he had received assurances that Serbia would soon have a new Constitutional Court elected, without which there was no legal state. "Serbia will join the EU when it wants to, or when it meets all the criteria. The ball’s in your court," urged Kacin. President of the Parliamentary Group for European Integration Milos Jevtic said that the European Parliament would review Kacin’s report on Serbia at the end of October, adding that it was very important for parliament to start adopting the most pressing laws. Jevtic said that by November, when the European Commission is due to submit its progress report on Serbia, the parliament should have adopted forty-four laws. For this reason, it was agreed at yesterday’s meeting between the parliamentary speaker and the government that the laws should be grouped into logical sets and adopted together, to speed up the process. Jevtic added that the European Parliament’s report would contain an evaluation as to what Serbia had done in the integration process, and also a list of the commitments that it still had to meet. A meeting yesterday chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic, it was decided that the working body should be expanded to include members of different ministries, in order to hasten the legislative process. Kacin and Djelic (FoNet) Kacin: Forget partition Jelko Kacinmet also met with Bozidar Djelic in Belgrade Wednesday, when he said that the idea of partitioning Kosovo should be dismissed out of hand. He emphasised that there was willingness within the EU to further encourage Serbia along the European road, and added that Slovenia would support the candidacy of the western Balkan countries for membership to the EU. According to the government, the deputy prime minister met with his Slovenian guest to talk about the government’s most recent activities in the field of European integration, and progress with reforms. It is reported that during his conversation with Kacin, he reiterated Serbia’s determination to meet all the criteria for receiving the status of a European Union candidate country by the end of 2008.

EU rapporteur urges adoption of new laws

"The government must now tackle its biggest task of preparing laws, so that parliament can adopt them and so things can move forward," said Kacin.

He stated he was glad that parliament had chosen an ombudsman and that the sector linked to access to information of public importance had been brought into order.

Kacin reiterated that he had received assurances that Serbia would soon have a new Constitutional Court elected, without which there was no legal state.

"Serbia will join the EU when it wants to, or when it meets all the criteria. The ball’s in your court," urged Kacin.

President of the Parliamentary Group for European Integration Miloš Jevtić said that the European Parliament would review Kacin’s report on Serbia at the end of October, adding that it was very important for parliament to start adopting the most pressing laws.

Jevtić said that by November, when the European Commission is due to submit its progress report on Serbia, the parliament should have adopted forty-four laws.

For this reason, it was agreed at yesterday’s meeting between the parliamentary speaker and the government that the laws should be grouped into logical sets and adopted together, to speed up the process.

Jevtić added that the European Parliament’s report would contain an evaluation as to what Serbia had done in the integration process, and also a list of the commitments that it still had to meet.

A meeting yesterday chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić, it was decided that the working body should be expanded to include members of different ministries, in order to hasten the legislative process.

Kacin: Forget partition

Jelko Kacinmet also met with Božidar Đelić in Belgrade Wednesday, when he said that the idea of partitioning Kosovo should be dismissed out of hand.

He emphasised that there was willingness within the EU to further encourage Serbia along the European road, and added that Slovenia would support the candidacy of the western Balkan countries for membership to the EU.

According to the government, the deputy prime minister met with his Slovenian guest to talk about the government’s most recent activities in the field of European integration, and progress with reforms.

It is reported that during his conversation with Kacin, he reiterated Serbia’s determination to meet all the criteria for receiving the status of a European Union candidate country by the end of 2008.