"Economy to bear greatest burden of EU talks"

"Economy to bear greatest burden of EU talks"

Serbia needs to become a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) as soon as possible and it has to adjust to the EU trade framework, Serbia's chief negotiator in the EU accession talks Tanja Miščević said.

There can be no conclusion of negotiations in Chapter 30 without WTO membership, she said and added that the Serbian government is ready to tackle this task and has a clear plan on how to help Serbia become WTO member by 2015.

She recalled that one of the key issues lies in the adoption of the law on GMO and noted that the bill has already been adjusted to the WTO standards, after which it should be filed to the parliament for adoption.

Miščević noted that Serbia has to make certain adjustments required for WTO membership because it will cost the country its free trade agreements and preferential treatment with CEFTA.

Nevertheless, Chapter 30 on economic relations with foreign countries should not be discussed in the domain of the political debate on the free trade agreement with the Russian Federation.

Miščević noted that Serbia should have a clear guideline until 2010 and even afterwards, which means that Serbia's agriculture should prepare for the 500 million European market and the way to best use market potentials in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific.

Chair of the ISAC Fund Advisory Board Milan Pajević said that Serbia's WTO membership is an urgent problem and that the solution to this matter has been sought for years and now it needs to be urgently found.

Secretary General of the European Movement in Serbia Maja Bobić said that a specialized negotiating team needs to be set up as soon as possible, having in mind the fact that the screening for negotiating chapters lasts until March 2015.