Deputy PM: No EU without reforms

If necessary reforms are not implemented by September, we will wait a year for the beginning for the EU accession negotiations, Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic says. “Serbia has a huge reform program and now is the time to do things and not go to the elections,“ he pointed out. Deputy PM: No EU without reforms “The European integrations are making us keep our word. The fact is that we have an opportunity in December to along with the candidate status get the date for the beginning of the negotiations as well,“ the deputy PM told B92. According to him, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, who visited Belgrade on Tuesday, is worried about the fact that he got the impression that MPs' blank resignation letters would only be partially repealed. As Djelic said, the EU enlargement commissioner was also surprised by whistling and ringing of some of the MPs' cell phones. He explained that the EU would not “cut Serbia any slack“ regarding reforms and cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, adding that the country had an opportunity to get both the candidate status and the date for the beginning of the accession negotiations in December. “If reforms are done and Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz's report is positive in June, Serbia has a chance to get what none of the Western Balkans countries got in the last six years,“ the deputy PM said. He added that the whole Europe cared about maintaining political stability in Serbia and that everybody was aware that the elections would only disable European Commission's positive opinion. If Serbia does not implement reforms by September that would enable the EC to give a positive opinion on October 12, then it would have to wait at least a year or two “for what it has within reach by the end of the year“. Djelic has announced that coordinators of the EU pre-accession funds from the entire region would come to Belgrade on Monday and that the joint position of the region would increase the possibility that “the aid will increase from EUR 200mn or EUR 300mn to EUR 400, 600 or 800mn“. He explained that the measure would be worth between EUR 2mn to 3mn in Serbia's case. The deputy PM stressed that that there was a draft law on the restitution and that it was necessary to view the financial situation and correct the injustice in accordance with the country's realistic possibilities. Commenting on a petition of a group of scientists for the return of the Science Ministry, he said that he would discuss it with Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic and President Boris Tadic and added that he had already discussed the issue with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic. “We are looking for a mechanism to respond to the concern by giving additional guarantees for the implementation of the program by authorizing myself to monitor the investments in the science and technology infrastructure,” Djelic pointed out. Bozidar Djelic (Beta)

Deputy PM: No EU without reforms

“The European integrations are making us keep our word. The fact is that we have an opportunity in December to along with the candidate status get the date for the beginning of the negotiations as well,“ the deputy PM told B92.

According to him, EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, who visited Belgrade on Tuesday, is worried about the fact that he got the impression that MPs' blank resignation letters would only be partially repealed.

As Đelić said, the EU enlargement commissioner was also surprised by whistling and ringing of some of the MPs' cell phones.

He explained that the EU would not “cut Serbia any slack“ regarding reforms and cooperation with the Hague Tribunal, adding that the country had an opportunity to get both the candidate status and the date for the beginning of the accession negotiations in December.

“If reforms are done and Hague Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz's report is positive in June, Serbia has a chance to get what none of the Western Balkans countries got in the last six years,“ the deputy PM said.

He added that the whole Europe cared about maintaining political stability in Serbia and that everybody was aware that the elections would only disable European Commission's positive opinion.

If Serbia does not implement reforms by September that would enable the EC to give a positive opinion on October 12, then it would have to wait at least a year or two “for what it has within reach by the end of the year“.

Đelić has announced that coordinators of the EU pre-accession funds from the entire region would come to Belgrade on Monday and that the joint position of the region would increase the possibility that “the aid will increase from EUR 200mn or EUR 300mn to EUR 400, 600 or 800mn“.

He explained that the measure would be worth between EUR 2mn to 3mn in Serbia's case.

The deputy PM stressed that that there was a draft law on the restitution and that it was necessary to view the financial situation and correct the injustice in accordance with the country's realistic possibilities.

Commenting on a petition of a group of scientists for the return of the Science Ministry, he said that he would discuss it with Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić and President Boris Tadić and added that he had already discussed the issue with Prime Minister Mirko Cvetković.

“We are looking for a mechanism to respond to the concern by giving additional guarantees for the implementation of the program by authorizing myself to monitor the investments in the science and technology infrastructure,” Đelić pointed out.