Serbia will get EU candidacy on October 12, deputy PM claims

Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic is convinced that the European Commission will grant Serbia the EU candidate status on October 12. He points out that it is less likely that the country will get a date for the beginning of the accession negotiations due to the Kosovo issue. Serbia will get EU candidacy on October 12, deputy PM claims Djelic said that Serbia had done everything that needed to be done, that it had solved the Hague Tribunal issue, fulfilled the Action plan and had been a factor of stability in the region. Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said, however, that he could not foresee what would be written in the EC’s report on Serbia’s progress. Degert stressed that he expected additional progress of Serbia by October 12. “Progress has been made but there are still problems and there is room to solve them by October 12,” he explained. The head of the EU delegation to Serbia said that Serbia had done plenty in the last year regarding implementation of internal reforms, adoption of laws and regional cooperation. According to him, there has also been progress in solving of certain issues between Belgrade and Pristina, such as cadastre, customs stamps and lifting off the embargo on import of goods. “Those are positive sides, but there are problems as well and I think that those topics will be discussed this week,” he pointed out. Djelic said that citizens’ support to Serbia’s EU integration had dropped to 46 percent due to Kosovo, which is the lowest percentage since October 5, 2000. “That represents a big warning to Serbia’s European partners,” he added. “If they want to have a pro-European policy in Serbia, there has to be a positive European agenda,” the deputy PM stressed, adding that euroskepticism was a consequence of unilateral actions in northern Kosovo. He pointed out, however, that Serbia should not give up on its EU path and that it was a matter of state’s interests. Vincent Degert and Bozidar Djelic (Beta, file)

Serbia will get EU candidacy on October 12, deputy PM claims

Đelić said that Serbia had done everything that needed to be done, that it had solved the Hague Tribunal issue, fulfilled the Action plan and had been a factor of stability in the region.

Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said, however, that he could not foresee what would be written in the EC’s report on Serbia’s progress.

Degert stressed that he expected additional progress of Serbia by October 12.

“Progress has been made but there are still problems and there is room to solve them by October 12,” he explained.

The head of the EU delegation to Serbia said that Serbia had done plenty in the last year regarding implementation of internal reforms, adoption of laws and regional cooperation.

According to him, there has also been progress in solving of certain issues between Belgrade and Priština, such as cadastre, customs stamps and lifting off the embargo on import of goods.

“Those are positive sides, but there are problems as well and I think that those topics will be discussed this week,” he pointed out.

Đelić said that citizens’ support to Serbia’s EU integration had dropped to 46 percent due to Kosovo, which is the lowest percentage since October 5, 2000.

“That represents a big warning to Serbia’s European partners,” he added.

“If they want to have a pro-European policy in Serbia, there has to be a positive European agenda,” the deputy PM stressed, adding that euroskepticism was a consequence of unilateral actions in northern Kosovo.

He pointed out, however, that Serbia should not give up on its EU path and that it was a matter of state’s interests.