"Great progress regarding EU candidate bid"

Deputy PM Bozidar Djelic and EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule stated in Brussels that Serbia has made a great progress regarding its EU candidate status. Djelic told journalists after a meeting with Fule that Serbia was specially commended for its results in the justice system reform, fight against corruption, which recoded a 70 percent increase in the number of tracked cases, and the adoption of the laws on restitution and public property. "Great progress regarding EU candidate bid" “We are making additional efforts to see the date for the beginning of the membership negotiations included in the EC opinion. However, this is quite difficult at the moment,” Djelic said. He added that all efforts will be stepped up in the coming weeks. The meeting between Djelic and the EU commissioner was a lengthy and fruitful one, an EC official told Tanjug. It lasted for quite a while, but it was worth it. Many issues were addressed and as a result the meeting was a surprisingly lengthy one taking almost an hour and a half, the official said. As for the Kosovo issue, Djelic said that considering the EC point of view there are three main elements: the agreement on the customs stamps, which has already been signed, participation of Kosovo representatives in regional conferences in a manner which would not constitute a violation of the Serbian Constitution, and a free flow of goods and freedom of movement of citizens. According to Djelic, the final decision on the candidacy and the beginning of the accession talks is in the hands of the EU members. “In that sense, the resolution of the issue of the gates 1 and 31 (Jarinje and Brnjak) is of immense importance,” Djelic concluded. Djelic's meeting with Fule took place less than a month before the release of the EC report on the progress of the Western Balkans towards the EU. The report is due to be published on October 12. The talks with Fule are the start of a series of meetings Djelic will have with European officials. During the day, he will confer with other members of the EC, as well as with MPs of the European Parliament, and in the afternoon he will open the event "Serbia Days in the European Parliament". Ahead of his trip, Djelic told Belgrade-based daily Blic that there was no doubt, "if we took into account only the Copenhagen criteria", that Serbia had met all the conditions to become a candidate and be given a date for the start of accession negotiations. However, noted this official, there were "two aggravating circumstances". "One concerns the great crisis that Europe is going through, and the other the attempt of Pristina and a part of the international community to secure as many concessions as possible from Serbia at this delicate moment." A file photo of Bozidar Djelic (FoNet)

"Great progress regarding EU candidate bid"

“We are making additional efforts to see the date for the beginning of the membership negotiations included in the EC opinion. However, this is quite difficult at the moment,” Đelić said.

He added that all efforts will be stepped up in the coming weeks.

The meeting between Đelić and the EU commissioner was a lengthy and fruitful one, an EC official told Tanjug.

It lasted for quite a while, but it was worth it. Many issues were addressed and as a result the meeting was a surprisingly lengthy one taking almost an hour and a half, the official said.

As for the Kosovo issue, Đelić said that considering the EC point of view there are three main elements: the agreement on the customs stamps, which has already been signed, participation of Kosovo representatives in regional conferences in a manner which would not constitute a violation of the Serbian Constitution, and a free flow of goods and freedom of movement of citizens.

According to Đelić, the final decision on the candidacy and the beginning of the accession talks is in the hands of the EU members.

“In that sense, the resolution of the issue of the gates 1 and 31 (Jarinje and Brnjak) is of immense importance,” Đelić concluded.

Đelić's meeting with Fule took place less than a month before the release of the EC report on the progress of the Western Balkans towards the EU.

The report is due to be published on October 12.

The talks with Fule are the start of a series of meetings Đelić will have with European officials.

During the day, he will confer with other members of the EC, as well as with MPs of the European Parliament, and in the afternoon he will open the event "Serbia Days in the European Parliament".

Ahead of his trip, Đelić told Belgrade-based daily Blic that there was no doubt, "if we took into account only the Copenhagen criteria", that Serbia had met all the conditions to become a candidate and be given a date for the start of accession negotiations.

However, noted this official, there were "two aggravating circumstances".

"One concerns the great crisis that Europe is going through, and the other the attempt of Priština and a part of the international community to secure as many concessions as possible from Serbia at this delicate moment."