"2010 important for Serbia's EU future"

The year 2010 will be very important for the European future of Serbia and the West Balkans as a whole. This is according to Spain's Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, departing EU Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn and Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic, who met today in Brussels. "2010 important for Serbia's EU future" They held a session of the foreign policy dialogue between Belgrade and EU. “The year 2010 will be important for the European future of the whole West Balkans. We will do everything in our might to continue with the EU integration of the whole region. The beginning of the ministerial political dialogue with Serbia was good,” Moratinos told a press conference after the meeting with Jeremic. Rehn recalled that the last year was very important for Serbia's EU integration and expressed belief that the Spain's EU presidency will additionally promote the process in the following six months. Recalling that the EU welcomed Serbia's EU candidacy application, Rehn pointed out that the EU executive body is ready to launch the preparation of the official opinion on the matter as soon as the EU Council demands it. Jeremic said that Serbia achieved such results in view of the EU integration in the previous year that it will be difficult to outshine them, but that it is determined to transfer the 2009 success to 2010. “We hope that this process will develop as fast as possible. We will do our part of the job and continue to cooperate with Hague Tribunal as we have done so far,” Jeremic said. Ahead of the meeting in Brussels today, Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic told B92 that the main topic of the meeting would be Serbia's regional relations, and Serbia’s EU membership candidacy. “It is certain that the candidacy will not be on the Council of Ministers’ agenda before March because the European Commission has not been constituted yet after the departure of the Bulgarian candidate for commissioner. That will occur in mid-February,” he said. “I must say that a significant number of countries, at this moment, believe that it will be better to wait for the process of the ratification of agreements to begin in June, but it is up us to try and get our candidacy on the agenda by the spring. If that occurs, then we have a chance of completing the questionnaire by the summer and catch a train to receiving candidate status by the end of the year, but a great battle is ahead of us,” Djelic said. Spanish ambassador to Serbia Inigo de Palacio Espana said that the date for forwarding Serbia’s application to the Council of Ministers is still up in the air. Effects of the interim trade agreement The interim trade agreement between Serbia and the EU will be taking power soon. According to experts speaking at a conference on the effects of the agreement, in the ten months of unilateral implementation, Serbia lost EUR 78mn from abolishing customs, but companies saved EUR 310mn. The European Union delegation in Belgrade stated that customs will be abolished for another ten percent of the tariff line in 2011 as far as industrial production is concerned, and the next 20 percent will be abolished in 2013, while the customs for the most sensitive products are expected to be abolished in 2014. “On the economic side, the agreement is important because it enables businesses to lean on legal norms that are foreseen. Now foreign investors know exactly what to expect if they enter Serbia. Businesspeople can use the advantages of the agreement for greater exports to the EU, but that demands a lot of capital and standards,” Chief of the European integration sector of the EU delegation in Serbia Alberto Cammarata said. It was announced that a meeting will be held in Belgrade in March between officials of the government and European Commission for following the implementation of the trade agreement, and that a positive assessment will speed up the process of receiving the questionnaire on EU membership.

"2010 important for Serbia's EU future"

They held a session of the foreign policy dialogue between Belgrade and EU.

“The year 2010 will be important for the European future of the whole West Balkans. We will do everything in our might to continue with the EU integration of the whole region. The beginning of the ministerial political dialogue with Serbia was good,” Moratinos told a press conference after the meeting with Jeremić.

Rehn recalled that the last year was very important for Serbia's EU integration and expressed belief that the Spain's EU presidency will additionally promote the process in the following six months.

Recalling that the EU welcomed Serbia's EU candidacy application, Rehn pointed out that the EU executive body is ready to launch the preparation of the official opinion on the matter as soon as the EU Council demands it.

Jeremić said that Serbia achieved such results in view of the EU integration in the previous year that it will be difficult to outshine them, but that it is determined to transfer the 2009 success to 2010.

“We hope that this process will develop as fast as possible. We will do our part of the job and continue to cooperate with Hague Tribunal as we have done so far,” Jeremić said.

Ahead of the meeting in Brussels today, Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić told B92 that the main topic of the meeting would be Serbia's regional relations, and Serbia’s EU membership candidacy.

“It is certain that the candidacy will not be on the Council of Ministers’ agenda before March because the European Commission has not been constituted yet after the departure of the Bulgarian candidate for commissioner. That will occur in mid-February,” he said.

“I must say that a significant number of countries, at this moment, believe that it will be better to wait for the process of the ratification of agreements to begin in June, but it is up us to try and get our candidacy on the agenda by the spring. If that occurs, then we have a chance of completing the questionnaire by the summer and catch a train to receiving candidate status by the end of the year, but a great battle is ahead of us,” Đelić said.

Spanish ambassador to Serbia Inigo de Palacio Espana said that the date for forwarding Serbia’s application to the Council of Ministers is still up in the air.

Effects of the interim trade agreement

The interim trade agreement between Serbia and the EU will be taking power soon.

According to experts speaking at a conference on the effects of the agreement, in the ten months of unilateral implementation, Serbia lost EUR 78mn from abolishing customs, but companies saved EUR 310mn.

The European Union delegation in Belgrade stated that customs will be abolished for another ten percent of the tariff line in 2011 as far as industrial production is concerned, and the next 20 percent will be abolished in 2013, while the customs for the most sensitive products are expected to be abolished in 2014.

“On the economic side, the agreement is important because it enables businesses to lean on legal norms that are foreseen. Now foreign investors know exactly what to expect if they enter Serbia. Businesspeople can use the advantages of the agreement for greater exports to the EU, but that demands a lot of capital and standards,” Chief of the European integration sector of the EU delegation in Serbia Alberto Cammarata said.

It was announced that a meeting will be held in Belgrade in March between officials of the government and European Commission for following the implementation of the trade agreement, and that a positive assessment will speed up the process of receiving the questionnaire on EU membership.