Serbia in for "hot summer", says EU rep

Head of the EU delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert said on Tuesday that Serbia is in for a "hot summer". The reason for this, according to him, is that there were still many issues which the country needs to tackle in order to enhance its EU accession. Serbia in for "hot summer", says EU rep In a statement for Tanjug, Degert said that Serbia has done a lot over the past few months but he also added that previously adopted reforms need to be implemented now. The EU official pointed out that some issues have not yet been fully completed and illustrated this point by examples of laws on return of state property to local self-governments and restitution. These issues should be tackled during the summer, Degert said and expressed belief that the law on return of state property to local self-governments and perhaps even the law on restitution should be adopted by September. He also believes that these issues are inter-related and difficult since they were not discussed over the past ten years. Degert noted that reforms in the media sector should also be carried out this summer, especially in terms of adjustments to the new technological environment. He said that a lot of work has already been done in this domain and expressed expectation that certain decisions would also be adopted soon and that a realistic media strategy would be finalized by September. To illustrate the considerable progress Serbia has made, the EU official said that the arrest of ICTY indictee Ratko Mladic represents an important step in the right direction because it removed a big obstacle on the country's EU path. He believes that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue represents a positive step, as well as good relations with neighbors in the region. In this context, Degert listed the visits of Serbian President Boris Tadic to Bosnia-Herzegovina and other countries in the region. Vincent Degert (Tanjug)

Serbia in for "hot summer", says EU rep

In a statement for Tanjug, Degert said that Serbia has done a lot over the past few months but he also added that previously adopted reforms need to be implemented now.

The EU official pointed out that some issues have not yet been fully completed and illustrated this point by examples of laws on return of state property to local self-governments and restitution.

These issues should be tackled during the summer, Degert said and expressed belief that the law on return of state property to local self-governments and perhaps even the law on restitution should be adopted by September. He also believes that these issues are inter-related and difficult since they were not discussed over the past ten years.

Degert noted that reforms in the media sector should also be carried out this summer, especially in terms of adjustments to the new technological environment.

He said that a lot of work has already been done in this domain and expressed expectation that certain decisions would also be adopted soon and that a realistic media strategy would be finalized by September.

To illustrate the considerable progress Serbia has made, the EU official said that the arrest of ICTY indictee Ratko Mladić represents an important step in the right direction because it removed a big obstacle on the country's EU path.

He believes that the Belgrade-Priština dialogue represents a positive step, as well as good relations with neighbors in the region.

In this context, Degert listed the visits of Serbian President Boris Tadić to Bosnia-Herzegovina and other countries in the region.