EP on northern Kosovo, Serbia's candidate status

The European Parliament (EP) has in a draft resolution called on the European Council to grant Serbia the EU candidate status in March. The EP added that this was being done “under the assumption that the Serbian authorities will by then fulfill the conditions determined at the EU leaders’ meeting in December 2011”. EP on northern Kosovo, Serbia's candidate status The EP believes that, bearing in mind EC’s opinion on Serbia’s progress from October 2011, the negotiations about Serbia’s EU accession “should begin as soon as possible, which would show European Union’s commitment to the country’s EU accession perspective”. The EP stressed that it “believes that the key priorities that the EC pointed to in its opinion have been fulfilled and that reforms continue in Serbia”. The European Parliament has expressed serious concern over the situation in northern Kosovo and the violence that took place there in late 2011. The EP once again stressed in the resolution “that only solutions reached through negotiations in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue could permanently ease the tensions”. The EP Foreign Affairs Committee will discuss the Resolution on Serbia’s European Integration on Thursday. The EP “welcomes the agreement that have been reached so far and calls on the Serbian government to implement them fully and without any delay”. The EP noted that the first steps in the implementation of the agreements reached in the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue was the fact that a regular flow of goods was ensured thanks to acceptance of customs seals, that the Serbian authorities have submitted 10,000 copies of birth registries and the fact that the implementation of the agreement on freedom of movement had started on December 26, 2011. The EP in the document also “welcomes (Serbian) President Boris Tadic’s statements on necessity to remove the barricades“ and requests free flow of people, goods, ideas and capital “as key EU values”. The Serbian authorities are expected to “guarantee complete removal of the remaining barricades which would allow free access to crossings and the Serbian authorities are also urged to facilitate cooperation between Kosovo Serbs and KFOR and EULEX so they could implement their mandate”. The EP expressed satisfaction “over renewed emphasis of the need to continue the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue in order to improve living conditions of the people in both countries”. In the draft resolution, the EP also pointed to “the importance of the wider regional cooperation process, stability and liveliness of the process that will lead the countries of the region into the EU”. (FoNet, file) Beta

EP on northern Kosovo, Serbia's candidate status

The EP believes that, bearing in mind EC’s opinion on Serbia’s progress from October 2011, the negotiations about Serbia’s EU accession “should begin as soon as possible, which would show European Union’s commitment to the country’s EU accession perspective”.

The EP stressed that it “believes that the key priorities that the EC pointed to in its opinion have been fulfilled and that reforms continue in Serbia”.

The European Parliament has expressed serious concern over the situation in northern Kosovo and the violence that took place there in late 2011.

The EP once again stressed in the resolution “that only solutions reached through negotiations in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue could permanently ease the tensions”.

The EP Foreign Affairs Committee will discuss the Resolution on Serbia’s European Integration on Thursday.

The EP “welcomes the agreement that have been reached so far and calls on the Serbian government to implement them fully and without any delay”.

The EP noted that the first steps in the implementation of the agreements reached in the Belgrade-Priština dialogue was the fact that a regular flow of goods was ensured thanks to acceptance of customs seals, that the Serbian authorities have submitted 10,000 copies of birth registries and the fact that the implementation of the agreement on freedom of movement had started on December 26, 2011.

The EP in the document also “welcomes (Serbian) President Boris Tadić’s statements on necessity to remove the barricades“ and requests free flow of people, goods, ideas and capital “as key EU values”.

The Serbian authorities are expected to “guarantee complete removal of the remaining barricades which would allow free access to crossings and the Serbian authorities are also urged to facilitate cooperation between Kosovo Serbs and KFOR and EULEX so they could implement their mandate”.

The EP expressed satisfaction “over renewed emphasis of the need to continue the Belgrade-Priština dialogue in order to improve living conditions of the people in both countries”.

In the draft resolution, the EP also pointed to “the importance of the wider regional cooperation process, stability and liveliness of the process that will lead the countries of the region into the EU”.