“Rehn wants SAA signed with Serbia”

Krisztina Nagy says that Olli Rehn will call for the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) to be signed with Serbia. The EU enlargement commissioner's spokeswoman said that Rehn would call on EU member states to support immediate signing of the SAA with Serbia at Monday's EU Council of Ministers session. “Rehn wants SAA signed with Serbia” However, full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal would be required to ratify the agreement, Nagy said. Daily Novosti stated that, according to sources in Brussels, an EU work group for Serbia would be approved on Monday and that procedures for the liberalization of the visa regime would also be sped up. “The EU is technically completely ready to sign the SAA with Serbia, which means that the SAA has been translated into all the languages of the EU. The only thing left is the political decision by the Council of Ministers,” Nagy said. She said that Rehn expected Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to visit Belgrade before the Council of Ministers meeting and submit a report to him on Serbia's cooperation. Nagy said that the European Commission did not see a problem with Serbia signing the SAA, because such an agreement did not have any bearing on solving the Kosovo crisis. “As far as we know, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic has received the authority from the government to sign the agreement. We have not heard of anyone revoking that authority from him,” Nagy said. There is still a chance, however small, that the EU will invite Serbia to sign the SAA, according to Novosti, quoting sources within various European institutions. The same sources state that Holland and Belgium do not want the agreement signed until Serbia achieves full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. Olli Rehn (Beta, archive)

“Rehn wants SAA signed with Serbia”

However, full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal would be required to ratify the agreement, Nagy said. Daily Novosti stated that, according to sources in Brussels, an EU work group for Serbia would be approved on Monday and that procedures for the liberalization of the visa regime would also be sped up.

“The EU is technically completely ready to sign the SAA with Serbia, which means that the SAA has been translated into all the languages of the EU. The only thing left is the political decision by the Council of Ministers,” Nagy said.

She said that Rehn expected Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz to visit Belgrade before the Council of Ministers meeting and submit a report to him on Serbia's cooperation.

Nagy said that the European Commission did not see a problem with Serbia signing the SAA, because such an agreement did not have any bearing on solving the Kosovo crisis.

“As far as we know, Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić has received the authority from the government to sign the agreement. We have not heard of anyone revoking that authority from him,” Nagy said.

There is still a chance, however small, that the EU will invite Serbia to sign the SAA, according to Novosti, quoting sources within various European institutions. The same sources state that Holland and Belgium do not want the agreement signed until Serbia achieves full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal.