France: No candidate status for Serbia in 2008

Serbia will not become an EU candidate this year, according to a French official. France's State Secretary for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet told Novi Sad daily Dnevnik in an interview published today that his country will "try to ensure that the European Commission receives a mandate from the EU Council of Ministers to make a recommendation" on whether Serbia is ready for a candidate status. France: No candidate status for Serbia in 2008 France has on July 1 taken over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union. Jouyet added that should Serbia meet the full Hague cooperation condition, France will do all it can "to solidify Serbia's European perspective". But, according to this diplomat, in order for the EC to receive the recommendation concerning Serbia's candidate ambition, the EU must first solve its internal problems over the Lisbon Treaty rejection. Jouyet, who is described as French President Nicolas Sarkozy's top aide on EU enlargement issues, said that Paris advocates the union's spread to the whole of the Western Balkans, and that the process of stabilization and association will not be halted. "However, there is no doubt there will be no new EU members without adequate reform of the EU system and enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty," he explained. Jouyet also commented on the situation in Kosovo when he said that "things are slowly settling down there", while "everyone realizes that Kosovo is a European affair to be handled by the EU". "UNMIK and EULEX are together in Kosovo now and slowly, step by step, EULEX will take over its powers in the full capacity. It seems to me things are not going so badly in Kosovo, certainly they look better than some have predicted," the French diplomat concluded.

France: No candidate status for Serbia in 2008

France has on July 1 taken over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union.

Jouyet added that should Serbia meet the full Hague cooperation condition, France will do all it can "to solidify Serbia's European perspective".

But, according to this diplomat, in order for the EC to receive the recommendation concerning Serbia's candidate ambition, the EU must first solve its internal problems over the Lisbon Treaty rejection.

Jouyet, who is described as French President Nicolas Sarkozy's top aide on EU enlargement issues, said that Paris advocates the union's spread to the whole of the Western Balkans, and that the process of stabilization and association will not be halted.

"However, there is no doubt there will be no new EU members without adequate reform of the EU system and enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty," he explained.

Jouyet also commented on the situation in Kosovo when he said that "things are slowly settling down there", while "everyone realizes that Kosovo is a European affair to be handled by the EU".

"UNMIK and EULEX are together in Kosovo now and slowly, step by step, EULEX will take over its powers in the full capacity. It seems to me things are not going so badly in Kosovo, certainly they look better than some have predicted," the French diplomat concluded.