Rehn calls for unfreezing of trade deal

European Enlargement Commission Olli Rehn says that Serbia deserves to have its Interim Trade Agreement with the EU unfrozen. He said that it would be “merited and fair” to allow Serbia to continue its EU integration, stressing that he was convinced that Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz would confirm full cooperation between Belgrade and the court provided that cooperation existed. Rehn calls for unfreezing of trade deal Rehn said that the European Commission believed that Serbia had substantially improved its cooperation with the Tribunal and that it deserved to have the trade agreement unfrozen. He added that the EC had said in last year’s report on European reforms in the Balkans that Serbia would be able to receive EU candidate status by the end of 2009. Asked why there was no reference to that issue in this year’s report, Rehn said that “the next step for Serbia is well-known, and that goal depends on its ability to convince the Hague chief prosecutor and all EU member-states of full cooperation with the court.” Rehn added that it was to the “detriment of his credibility” and that of the European Union “that we are not able to move ahead with Serbia, even though it is well-deserved and fair.” “The fact is that Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has a key position. I trust his integrity and believe that he will let everyone know if Serbia really is cooperating fully with the Hague court and say the magic words ‘full cooperation’,” he said. “That is in the hands of the chief prosecutor,” the commissioner said. “In the opinion of the European Commission, Serbia has substantially and seriously improved its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal in a lasting manner,” he stressed. “We stated earlier that we believed that the interim agreement should be unblocked. This would be a very important form of support for Serbia’s European orientation and, of course, that of the entire region,” Rehn said. Olli Rehn (Beta archive)

Rehn calls for unfreezing of trade deal

Rehn said that the European Commission believed that Serbia had substantially improved its cooperation with the Tribunal and that it deserved to have the trade agreement unfrozen.

He added that the EC had said in last year’s report on European reforms in the Balkans that Serbia would be able to receive EU candidate status by the end of 2009.

Asked why there was no reference to that issue in this year’s report, Rehn said that “the next step for Serbia is well-known, and that goal depends on its ability to convince the Hague chief prosecutor and all EU member-states of full cooperation with the court.”

Rehn added that it was to the “detriment of his credibility” and that of the European Union “that we are not able to move ahead with Serbia, even though it is well-deserved and fair.”

“The fact is that Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz has a key position. I trust his integrity and believe that he will let everyone know if Serbia really is cooperating fully with the Hague court and say the magic words ‘full cooperation’,” he said.

“That is in the hands of the chief prosecutor,” the commissioner said.

“In the opinion of the European Commission, Serbia has substantially and seriously improved its cooperation with the Hague Tribunal in a lasting manner,” he stressed.

“We stated earlier that we believed that the interim agreement should be unblocked. This would be a very important form of support for Serbia’s European orientation and, of course, that of the entire region,” Rehn said.