"Negative Schengen report expected"

An expert mission is due in Belgrade in Feb. 2009 tasked with performing a detailed analysis of Serbia’s progress towards the Schengen white list, writes Danas. The first expert mission is due to arrive in early February and will review results achieved in establishing public order and security, states a government document entitled “Information on the Current State of Relations between the Republic of Serbia and the EU” seen by the daily. "Negative Schengen report expected" The document was adopted this week by the European Integration Council, and was drawn up on the basis of a European Commission progress report on Road Map criteria fulfillment submitted to the government on November 25. The list of laws, strategies and ratifications of international conventions that need to be adopted is lengthy, particularly in the area of public order and security. It will be very hard to adopt them by the end of 2009, let alone the first few months when the EU delegation is due to visit Serbia. The problem is even bigger given the fact that no draft even exists for certain strategies, while the laws in question have yet to enter parliamentary procedure. Sadly, it is clear that the chances of the visa regime being scrapped by mid-2009 are zero, and that Brussels’ next report on Serbia’s progress towards the Schengen white list will be insufficiently positive, the daily writes. It adds that the paper recently received confirmation of this from sources close to the government, who said that the next clear time frame was January 2010. According to the list of Road Map conditions, parliament has to adopt three more laws: on preventing money laundering and financial terrorism, on combating discrimination, and a law on international legal aid. None of these laws have entered parliamentary procedure, nor have draft bills even been fully drawn up yet.

"Negative Schengen report expected"

The document was adopted this week by the European Integration Council, and was drawn up on the basis of a European Commission progress report on Road Map criteria fulfillment submitted to the government on November 25.

The list of laws, strategies and ratifications of international conventions that need to be adopted is lengthy, particularly in the area of public order and security.

It will be very hard to adopt them by the end of 2009, let alone the first few months when the EU delegation is due to visit Serbia.

The problem is even bigger given the fact that no draft even exists for certain strategies, while the laws in question have yet to enter parliamentary procedure.

Sadly, it is clear that the chances of the visa regime being scrapped by mid-2009 are zero, and that Brussels’ next report on Serbia’s progress towards the Schengen white list will be insufficiently positive, the daily writes.

It adds that the paper recently received confirmation of this from sources close to the government, who said that the next clear time frame was January 2010.

According to the list of Road Map conditions, parliament has to adopt three more laws: on preventing money laundering and financial terrorism, on combating discrimination, and a law on international legal aid.

None of these laws have entered parliamentary procedure, nor have draft bills even been fully drawn up yet.