Rehn, Del Ponte discuss Hague cooperation

Olli Rehn spoke to Carla Del Ponte yesterday by telephone about Serbia’s cooperation with the Hague. The European enlargement commissioner and the Hague chief prosecutor talked following her return from Belgrade, said his spokeswoman Kristina Nagy, adding that there would be further contact between the two before the publication of the European Commission’s (EC) report on reform implementation in the west Balkans, due on November 6. Rehn, Del Ponte discuss Hague cooperation Nagy said that, based on the meetings with Serb officials, “Del Ponte’s conclusions will be taken into serious consideration when the EC decides on whether or not to initial the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia.“ This was in response to a journalist’s question as to whether Rehn would base his decision to initial the SAA on Del Ponte’s findings, given that he is under no obligation to ask the opinion of the EU Council of Ministers (CoE) in the matter. Asked whether, following his conversation with Del Ponte, the EU commissioner had enough information to hand to speed up the SAA process with Serbia and sanction initialing of the agreement, Nagy replied that Rehn and the Hague chief prosecutor had “during a brief phone conversation exchanged ideas“ regarding her visit to Serbia. The two of them agreed to, as Rehn’s spokeswoman put it, “exchange information“ immediately upon publication of the EC report on reform and development in Serbia and other countries seeking EU membership. “The EC will give its view on Serbia within that framework,“ concluded Nagy.

Rehn, Del Ponte discuss Hague cooperation

Nagy said that, based on the meetings with Serb officials, “Del Ponte’s conclusions will be taken into serious consideration when the EC decides on whether or not to initial the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia.“

This was in response to a journalist’s question as to whether Rehn would base his decision to initial the SAA on Del Ponte’s findings, given that he is under no obligation to ask the opinion of the EU Council of Ministers (CoE) in the matter.

Asked whether, following his conversation with Del Ponte, the EU commissioner had enough information to hand to speed up the SAA process with Serbia and sanction initialing of the agreement, Nagy replied that Rehn and the Hague chief prosecutor had “during a brief phone conversation exchanged ideas“ regarding her visit to Serbia.

The two of them agreed to, as Rehn’s spokeswoman put it, “exchange information“ immediately upon publication of the EC report on reform and development in Serbia and other countries seeking EU membership.

“The EC will give its view on Serbia within that framework,“ concluded Nagy.