EU official: Positive report is necessary

Hague Tribunal chief prosecutor’s new report must be at least as good as the previous one, according to Chief of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert. He said that he did not think that Serbia’s European integration process was being delayed because of the Hague Tribunal, but that he could also ask why the arrest of the Hague indictees was so difficult to achieve. EU official: Positive report is necessary When it comes to judicial reforms, Degert told Belgrade daily Danas that the EC strongly supported the authorities’ efforts just as they “especially supported combat against organized crime”. “We’ve had some objections to the procedure of election of new judges and prosecutors, primarily to the implementation of criteria and appeal process, but we haven’t been informed about irregularities,” he said. When asked what Serbia could expect from the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers in June, Degert said that three main steps had been made – and mentioned the visa liberalization, the Interim Trade Agreement coming into effect and the submitting of membership candidacy. “During 2010 we will have to see how to keep this drive and what can be achieved. The EU should now approach the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and it’s clear that the main element the process to begin will be Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s report, which should be positive at least as much as the previous one.” “The report will be presented on June 18 and we have the first meeting of the Council of Ministers on 14 and 15, while a meeting of the EU Council is scheduled for June 17 and 18. The other thing is to see what the EU will do with Serbia’s membership application. The EC has clearly pointed out that it is ready to give its opinion about the application, but first we have to achieve consensus among the member states,” the chief of the EU delegation to Belgrade explained. He did not agree with the opinion that the integration process was constantly being delayed considering that Brammertz’s previous report was “positive or almost positive”. “I could ask why the arrest of the Hague indictees is so difficult. Brammertz has so far been convinced that the search is going well and I hope that his next report will be as good as the previous one,” Degert told the newpaper. Vincent Degert (Beta, file)

EU official: Positive report is necessary

When it comes to judicial reforms, Degert told Belgrade daily Danas that the EC strongly supported the authorities’ efforts just as they “especially supported combat against organized crime”.

“We’ve had some objections to the procedure of election of new judges and prosecutors, primarily to the implementation of criteria and appeal process, but we haven’t been informed about irregularities,” he said.

When asked what Serbia could expect from the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers in June, Degert said that three main steps had been made – and mentioned the visa liberalization, the Interim Trade Agreement coming into effect and the submitting of membership candidacy.

“During 2010 we will have to see how to keep this drive and what can be achieved. The EU should now approach the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) and it’s clear that the main element the process to begin will be Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz’s report, which should be positive at least as much as the previous one.”

“The report will be presented on June 18 and we have the first meeting of the Council of Ministers on 14 and 15, while a meeting of the EU Council is scheduled for June 17 and 18. The other thing is to see what the EU will do with Serbia’s membership application. The EC has clearly pointed out that it is ready to give its opinion about the application, but first we have to achieve consensus among the member states,” the chief of the EU delegation to Belgrade explained.

He did not agree with the opinion that the integration process was constantly being delayed considering that Brammertz’s previous report was “positive or almost positive”.

“I could ask why the arrest of the Hague indictees is so difficult. Brammertz has so far been convinced that the search is going well and I hope that his next report will be as good as the previous one,” Degert told the newpaper.