EC: Serbia's European future in her own hands

The Kosovo status process and Serbia’s European integration are separate processes, says Josep Lloveras. Reiterating that, at the December 14 summit, EU member-states had expressed the hope that Serbia would soon sign the Stabilization and Association Agreement, the head of the European Commission (EC) delegation to Serbia told FoNet in an interview that the text of the agreement had already been prepared. EC: Serbia's European future in her own hands “The condition of full Hague cooperation has not changed. That remains a well-known condition. As far as dates are concerned, the sooner, the better. For our part, the European Commission has done all that’s necessary to prepare the text, and it’s already complete,” said the EC official, adding that the speed of Serbia’s integration depended entirely on herself. Asked of the consequences of the decision of certain Serbian leaders to give up on the European path in the event of a negative conclusion to the Kosovo crisis, he said he hoped that that would not occur. “European integration is one of the principles on which the ruling coalition was formed,” said Lloveras,”and I hope it will remain so.” On the subject of Kosovo, the EC official stressed that the EU was prepared to assume responsibility for Kosovo and said that a Union mission was feasible on the basis of Security Council resolution 1244. He added that the forthcoming presidential elections were an opportunity for Serbia’s citizens to decide on the direction they wanted the country to take. “We hope these elections will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, and that citizens will vote in large numbers,” said Lloveras, stressing that it was up to citizens to decide which candidate presented the best future in their eyes. The EC official also harked back to the recently signed agreement on use of EU accession funds, from which Serbia has been allocated some EUR 1bn. “Those financial means represent our support for Serbia’s European integration,” he stressed, “and aren’t tied to any political conditions.” Lloveras explained that it would be very difficult to find a field of life in Serbia where the EU, in the shape of the European Agency for Reconstruction, was not participating with its projects, such as in hospitals, schools, and projects in small municipalities. The EC official was sure that, regardless of the final outcome of the Kosovo crisis, Serbia’s European future would not be brought into doubt. “Serbia’s floating towards the EU, as the Danube is to the Black Sea. For me, it’s a natural flow, and I don’t believe there are any other real alternatives,” he stressed. Joseph Lloveras (FoNet)

EC: Serbia's European future in her own hands

“The condition of full Hague cooperation has not changed. That remains a well-known condition. As far as dates are concerned, the sooner, the better. For our part, the European Commission has done all that’s necessary to prepare the text, and it’s already complete,” said the EC official, adding that the speed of Serbia’s integration depended entirely on herself.

Asked of the consequences of the decision of certain Serbian leaders to give up on the European path in the event of a negative conclusion to the Kosovo crisis, he said he hoped that that would not occur.

“European integration is one of the principles on which the ruling coalition was formed,” said Lloveras,”and I hope it will remain so.”

On the subject of Kosovo, the EC official stressed that the EU was prepared to assume responsibility for Kosovo and said that a Union mission was feasible on the basis of Security Council resolution 1244.

He added that the forthcoming presidential elections were an opportunity for Serbia’s citizens to decide on the direction they wanted the country to take.

“We hope these elections will be conducted in a fair and transparent manner, and that citizens will vote in large numbers,” said Lloveras, stressing that it was up to citizens to decide which candidate presented the best future in their eyes.

The EC official also harked back to the recently signed agreement on use of EU accession funds, from which Serbia has been allocated some EUR 1bn.

“Those financial means represent our support for Serbia’s European integration,” he stressed, “and aren’t tied to any political conditions.”

Lloveras explained that it would be very difficult to find a field of life in Serbia where the EU, in the shape of the European Agency for Reconstruction, was not participating with its projects, such as in hospitals, schools, and projects in small municipalities.

The EC official was sure that, regardless of the final outcome of the Kosovo crisis, Serbia’s European future would not be brought into doubt.

“Serbia’s floating towards the EU, as the Danube is to the Black Sea. For me, it’s a natural flow, and I don’t believe there are any other real alternatives,” he stressed.