Serbia could “take shortcut to EU talks date”

BELGRADE Serbia could get an opportunity to take a shortcut to a date for the beginning of the EU accession talks, daily Blic has learnt. This means that the European Council would adopt a so-called conditional decision that Serbia can automatically start the negotiations once it has fulfilled key conditions. Serbia could “take shortcut to EU talks date” Such a decision could be made in December and Brussels should define priority tasks for Serbia by then, the daily writes. According to Blic, Serbian PM Ivica Dacic was informed about the option during his stay in Brussels. Such a decision was made in the case of Montenegro and the EU set up conditions regarding the rule of law. Well-informed sources told Blic that criteria for Serbia had not been defined yet and that it was still uncertain whether Belgrade would get the “conditional decision” like Podgorica. “What is certain is that the criteria Serbia needs to fulfill are connected to Kosovo. If a decision is made to give Serbia this opportunity, the tasks will have to do with the implementation of agreements reached by Belgrade and Pristina. Serbia would receive a list of conditions and it would be considered that conditions for the getting of a date are fulfilled once she met them, and it will get a date automatically, without voting,” the source told the daily. According to Blic, in this case it would not be possible for EU member states to set new conditions after the concrete ones have been fulfilled. Blic

Serbia could “take shortcut to EU talks date”

Such a decision could be made in December and Brussels should define priority tasks for Serbia by then, the daily writes.

According to Blic, Serbian PM Ivica Dačić was informed about the option during his stay in Brussels.

Such a decision was made in the case of Montenegro and the EU set up conditions regarding the rule of law.

Well-informed sources told Blic that criteria for Serbia had not been defined yet and that it was still uncertain whether Belgrade would get the “conditional decision” like Podgorica.

“What is certain is that the criteria Serbia needs to fulfill are connected to Kosovo. If a decision is made to give Serbia this opportunity, the tasks will have to do with the implementation of agreements reached by Belgrade and Priština. Serbia would receive a list of conditions and it would be considered that conditions for the getting of a date are fulfilled once she met them, and it will get a date automatically, without voting,” the source told the daily.

According to Blic, in this case it would not be possible for EU member states to set new conditions after the concrete ones have been fulfilled.