EP chief on key factors of EU integration

Dialogue with Pristina and full cooperation with the Hague will be decisive factors on Serbia's EU path, said European Parliament (EP) President Jerzy Buzek. He told Belgrade-based daily Vecernje novosti that the EP had always extended its support to the European future of all Western Balkan countries and that parliamentarians from 27 EU member states would remain serious advocates of the continuation of the EU enlargement process. EP chief on key factors of EU integration “The EU's door is now open. Whether Serbia will manage to go through depends on you and your continuous efforts. It should not slip one’s mind that Serbia is doing it for itself and not for the EU,” the EP president explained. Speaking about speed of Serbia’s EU integration, he said that technical phase was set to begin. The Serbian government will get a questionnaire with approximately 5,000 questions which will show Serbia’s readiness. The EU expert team will arrive in Belgrade in order to make further evaluation. “The EC will prepare its opinion on Serbia’s EU candidacy application based on that and it is expected that the process will take about a year,” Buzek said and added that the EU Council of Ministers would decide whether to open up pre-accession negotiations or not if the opinion was positive. He has assessed that Serbia made progress in meeting political criteria and harmonizing its legislation with European standards. The EP president stressed that Serbia should make progress in public administration reform and combat against organized crime and corruption, establishment of functional market economy, regional cooperation and good neighborly relations. “Willingness to have a continuous and constructive dialogue with Kosovo will be a decisive factor,” Buzek pointed out. He is hoping that despite the announced early parliamentary elections in Kosovo, Serbian and Kosovo officials will be able to begin technical talks in near future in order to find practical solutions for regional and local cooperation. “Full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia will be a key prerequisite for EU membership and arrest of two remaining fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic will be the most convincing evidence of Serbia’s efforts in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal,” the EP president stressed. “Serbia is the largest country in the region and as such has capacity for positive influence,” Buzek said and added that the EP saw it as a regional model which also implied responsibility.

EP chief on key factors of EU integration

“The EU's door is now open. Whether Serbia will manage to go through depends on you and your continuous efforts. It should not slip one’s mind that Serbia is doing it for itself and not for the EU,” the EP president explained.

Speaking about speed of Serbia’s EU integration, he said that technical phase was set to begin. The Serbian government will get a questionnaire with approximately 5,000 questions which will show Serbia’s readiness. The EU expert team will arrive in Belgrade in order to make further evaluation.

“The EC will prepare its opinion on Serbia’s EU candidacy application based on that and it is expected that the process will take about a year,” Buzek said and added that the EU Council of Ministers would decide whether to open up pre-accession negotiations or not if the opinion was positive.

He has assessed that Serbia made progress in meeting political criteria and harmonizing its legislation with European standards.

The EP president stressed that Serbia should make progress in public administration reform and combat against organized crime and corruption, establishment of functional market economy, regional cooperation and good neighborly relations.

“Willingness to have a continuous and constructive dialogue with Kosovo will be a decisive factor,” Buzek pointed out.

He is hoping that despite the announced early parliamentary elections in Kosovo, Serbian and Kosovo officials will be able to begin technical talks in near future in order to find practical solutions for regional and local cooperation.

“Full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia will be a key prerequisite for EU membership and arrest of two remaining fugitives Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić will be the most convincing evidence of Serbia’s efforts in cooperation with the Hague Tribunal,” the EP president stressed.

“Serbia is the largest country in the region and as such has capacity for positive influence,” Buzek said and added that the EP saw it as a regional model which also implied responsibility.