"No recommendation to be made to give Serbia date"

BELGRADE The European Commission and Catherine Ashton will not give any recommendation to EU leaders about the date for the start of accession talks with Serbia. Even if a deal between were to be struck between Belgrade and Pristina at the last moment - the chances for which are virtually non-existent, writes Vecernje Novosti, the EC and the foreign policy chief will present "generic reports" which will list results of reforms, the dialogue with Pristina, and what is expected of Serbia in the future. "No recommendation to be made to give Serbia date" According to the newspaper, there will be no references to the next step in the integration, that is, whether to vote for or against granting Serbia a date during the European Council meeting in June. According to a source, both documents are nearly ready. The EC report, which will be published on April 16, will include a detailed description of what the government has done so far in the area of ​​judicial reform, the fight against crime and corruption, and related to independent institutions and the economy. Belgrade will be required to make additional efforts to correct the errors in the formation of the current court system and reappointment of judges and prosecutors. It will also be noted that the process in the fight against corruption "must not end with affairs, but with verdicts." "The EC report will include everything that was required during the December summit, primarily how much has been achieved in the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and reforms," EU Enlargement Commissioner Peter Stano told the daily. Ashton will present her report to foreign ministers on April 22, and this document will deal only with Kosovo. According to what Vecernje Novosti learned, the report will sum up what has been done in the Kosovo dialogue so far, commend the efforts to reach an agreement on many outstanding issues, but also note that no agreement had been reached on the north. In conclusion, Ashton will invite and encourage both sides to continue with "the normalization of relations" for the sake of their "European perspective". Thus, in effect, it will be up to EU heads of state and government to make the final decision. However, it is possible that on June 28, they may simply acknowledge that the reports prepared by the EC and Ashton had arrived, and that they would not discuss a date for Serbia. Sources close to diplomatic circles in Brussels say the option has been abandoned to give Serbia the green light for the development of the platform for accession instead of a date. EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule is expected to take over from Ashton when it comes to the efforts to resolve the Kosovo question. "The dialogue is likely to be continued, but in a different format and without the mediating role of Ashton. It is possible that it will take place directly between Belgrade and Pristina, with the mediation of those countries which have so far been the most influential - above all, Germany and America," Parliamentary Committee for EU Integration chair Laslo Varga has said. In the meantime, warning signals have been coming for days from the EU that in the event of a total failure of the dialogue, Serbia will face significant consequences - from the economic ones, to the reintroduction of visas. Deputy Director of the Office for the EU Ognjen Miric, who is in charge of EU funds, told the newspaper that "whether or not we are given a date changes nothing at this moment". He explained that Serbia would be receiving EUR 200mn from the EU each year until 2014. "Hypothetically, a date might help us get more money from 2014 until 2020, as currently the (EU) budget for that period is being planned, but it is being drastically reduced in many places, so the big question is how much would go to Serbia," Miric explained. Vecernje novosti

"No recommendation to be made to give Serbia date"

According to the newspaper, there will be no references to the next step in the integration, that is, whether to vote for or against granting Serbia a date during the European Council meeting in June.

According to a source, both documents are nearly ready. The EC report, which will be published on April 16, will include a detailed description of what the government has done so far in the area of ​​judicial reform, the fight against crime and corruption, and related to independent institutions and the economy.

Belgrade will be required to make additional efforts to correct the errors in the formation of the current court system and reappointment of judges and prosecutors. It will also be noted that the process in the fight against corruption "must not end with affairs, but with verdicts."

"The EC report will include everything that was required during the December summit, primarily how much has been achieved in the normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina and reforms," EU Enlargement Commissioner Peter Stano told the daily.

Ashton will present her report to foreign ministers on April 22, and this document will deal only with Kosovo. According to what Večernje Novosti learned, the report will sum up what has been done in the Kosovo dialogue so far, commend the efforts to reach an agreement on many outstanding issues, but also note that no agreement had been reached on the north.

In conclusion, Ashton will invite and encourage both sides to continue with "the normalization of relations" for the sake of their "European perspective".

Thus, in effect, it will be up to EU heads of state and government to make the final decision. However, it is possible that on June 28, they may simply acknowledge that the reports prepared by the EC and Ashton had arrived, and that they would not discuss a date for Serbia.

Sources close to diplomatic circles in Brussels say the option has been abandoned to give Serbia the green light for the development of the platform for accession instead of a date.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule is expected to take over from Ashton when it comes to the efforts to resolve the Kosovo question.

"The dialogue is likely to be continued, but in a different format and without the mediating role of Ashton. It is possible that it will take place directly between Belgrade and Priština, with the mediation of those countries which have so far been the most influential - above all, Germany and America," Parliamentary Committee for EU Integration chair Laslo Varga has said.

In the meantime, warning signals have been coming for days from the EU that in the event of a total failure of the dialogue, Serbia will face significant consequences - from the economic ones, to the reintroduction of visas.

Deputy Director of the Office for the EU Ognjen Mirić, who is in charge of EU funds, told the newspaper that "whether or not we are given a date changes nothing at this moment". He explained that Serbia would be receiving EUR 200mn from the EU each year until 2014.

"Hypothetically, a date might help us get more money from 2014 until 2020, as currently the (EU) budget for that period is being planned, but it is being drastically reduced in many places, so the big question is how much would go to Serbia," Mirić explained.