Đelić promises "swift answers to EC questionnaire"

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said that Serbia will be the "fastest country" in answering the European Commission questionnaire. He said this would come "just as Serbia was the fastest in meeting the conditions for visa liberalization". Djelic promises "swift answers to EC questionnaire" Djelic made his comments on Monday evening in Belgrade to add that the questionnaire was not a "secret document” and that the government is preparing answers to the questions which will probably be the same as those given to Montenegro, Macedonia and Croatia. European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin, meanwhile, said that Belgrade can create the conditions for integration, but that it does not make decisions. Kacin said that the questionnaire, with its "thousands of questions and tens of thousands of pages" represents a huge challenge. "Every woman can get pregnant," according to the Slovenian politician. "But she cannot give birth in three months. It takes a while, if we want a healthy child that its parents can be proud of." "Only Iceland, which has been a part of the common European market for a long time can answer the EC questions in a year," said Kacin. But Djelic stated that his optimism on a chance that Serbia could become a candidate for EU membership in a year – if the interim trade agreement is unfrozen after the European Union ministers meet in early December – was based on the fact that Serbia has been unilaterally implementing that same agreement since the start of 2009. Djelic also said that the EC "decided in its enlargement strategy that when the time comes, it will be recognized that Serbia has been implementing the agreement". “We are not looking for any special privileges, we are working so that our concrete accomplishments will be acknowledged with a certain level of integration,” Djelic said. He added that the focus now is on the implementation of the interim trade agreement, and that the first possible moment for a complete implementation will be on December 7-8. The trade deal is part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), signed a year and a half ago and immediately suspended pending Belgrade's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.

Đelić promises "swift answers to EC questionnaire"

Đelić made his comments on Monday evening in Belgrade to add that the questionnaire was not a "secret document” and that the government is preparing answers to the questions which will probably be the same as those given to Montenegro, Macedonia and Croatia.

European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin, meanwhile, said that Belgrade can create the conditions for integration, but that it does not make decisions.

Kacin said that the questionnaire, with its "thousands of questions and tens of thousands of pages" represents a huge challenge.

"Every woman can get pregnant," according to the Slovenian politician. "But she cannot give birth in three months. It takes a while, if we want a healthy child that its parents can be proud of."

"Only Iceland, which has been a part of the common European market for a long time can answer the EC questions in a year," said Kacin.

But Đelić stated that his optimism on a chance that Serbia could become a candidate for EU membership in a year – if the interim trade agreement is unfrozen after the European Union ministers meet in early December – was based on the fact that Serbia has been unilaterally implementing that same agreement since the start of 2009.

Đelić also said that the EC "decided in its enlargement strategy that when the time comes, it will be recognized that Serbia has been implementing the agreement".

“We are not looking for any special privileges, we are working so that our concrete accomplishments will be acknowledged with a certain level of integration,” Đelić said.

He added that the focus now is on the implementation of the interim trade agreement, and that the first possible moment for a complete implementation will be on December 7-8.

The trade deal is part of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA), signed a year and a half ago and immediately suspended pending Belgrade's full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.