Reform plan to be met "by end of June"

Deputy PM for European Integrations Bozidar Djelic stated on Monday that Serbia should fulfill its reform plan for the first half of 2011 by the end of June. This is drafted by the government with the aim of improving the situation in the country and performing tasks necessary for the country to be granted EU candidate status, said he. Reform plan to be met "by end of June" Commenting on the data of the Serbian Government's European Integration Office which shows that 70 per cent of the action plan has already been realized, Djelic said that this is positive but added that Serbia is yet to take the most important steps which are also the most difficult ones in the financial and political sense. These steps include abolishment of blank MP resignations, adoption of the law on restitution of property, new law on political party funding, strengthening of regulatory bodies' capacities and finalising personnel solutions where needed, Djelic told the state-run RTS broadcaster. Commenting on the statement by Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert who said that one should not rule out the possibility of Serbia not obtaining EU candidate status by the end of the year, Djelic explained that Degert was "simply telling the truth" and that the choice of one out of three possible scenarios would depend on the quality and scope of reforms Serbia manages to carry out. According to Djelic, the most favourable scenario would be that in which Serbia would be granted EU candidate status and the date of initiating EU accession talks, and only then would it become clear just how important it is for the country to meet the condition of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in order to launch talks on its EU accession. As Djelic said, another option is the scenario which the EU granted Montenegro last year, that is for the country to be granted EU candidate status without setting the date of the talks. The worst option would be the one which Albania experienced last year when it was not granted even the EU candidate status, Djelic reminded. “Now it is up to us to carry out all reforms. We went through the government reshuffle and now the government needs to prove it value by tackling the issue of European integration as its top priority,” the deputy prime minister believes. Bozidar Delic (Beta, file)

Reform plan to be met "by end of June"

Commenting on the data of the Serbian Government's European Integration Office which shows that 70 per cent of the action plan has already been realized, Đelić said that this is positive but added that Serbia is yet to take the most important steps which are also the most difficult ones in the financial and political sense.

These steps include abolishment of blank MP resignations, adoption of the law on restitution of property, new law on political party funding, strengthening of regulatory bodies' capacities and finalising personnel solutions where needed, Đelić told the state-run RTS broadcaster.

Commenting on the statement by Head of EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert who said that one should not rule out the possibility of Serbia not obtaining EU candidate status by the end of the year, Đelić explained that Degert was "simply telling the truth" and that the choice of one out of three possible scenarios would depend on the quality and scope of reforms Serbia manages to carry out.

According to Đelić, the most favourable scenario would be that in which Serbia would be granted EU candidate status and the date of initiating EU accession talks, and only then would it become clear just how important it is for the country to meet the condition of cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia in order to launch talks on its EU accession.

As Đelić said, another option is the scenario which the EU granted Montenegro last year, that is for the country to be granted EU candidate status without setting the date of the talks. The worst option would be the one which Albania experienced last year when it was not granted even the EU candidate status, Đelić reminded.

“Now it is up to us to carry out all reforms. We went through the government reshuffle and now the government needs to prove it value by tackling the issue of European integration as its top priority,” the deputy prime minister believes.