EP Foreign Affairs Committee backs resolution on Serbia

The European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee supported Thursday the draft resolution urging approval of Serbia's EU candidate status in March. MEPs also requested the start of the EU accession negotiations, primarily on the chapters regarding rule of law and judiciary. EP Foreign Affairs Committee backs resolution on Serbia Almost all of the MEPs, who discussed a draft resolution that urges the European Council to grant Serbia the candidate status in March, supported the position. MEP and EP Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin, who presented the draft resolution, pointed out that Serbia had achieved all the key goals with the implemented reforms, full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and the dialogue with Pristina. He added that Serbia was facing challenges in the region, especially when it came to Kosovo, but stressed that the country had made an excellent progress bearing in mind that there was no dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina a year before. “The situation with Kosovo is unsatisfactory but President (Boris) Tadic has called for the removal of the barricades and Belgrade has done everything in its power to remove the barricades and allow free flow of people, goods and capital,” Kacin stressed. The Committee members will submit amendments to the draft resolution by the end of the month and discuss them on February 29. The final version will be adopted on March 1. Kacin and majority of MEPs pointed out that Serbia and the entire region were facing great challenges regarding the rule of law and combat against “systemic corruption”. He stressed that professionals in judiciary needed to be allowed to do their job independently and responsibly but stressed that the judiciary reform and strengthening of the rule of law were process that took years. Certain MEPs warned that European business circles complained about the Serbian laws and asked the Belgrade authorities to make steps toward a thorough judicial reform. An EC official stressed that the reform was well underway in Serbia and that this was also a conclusion of independent experts, adding that the Serbian authorities had started the reform even before the EU membership negotiations. The MEPs stated that granting of the EU candidate to Serbia would be an important message to the entire Western Balkans that the EU enlargement process was continuing. Some of the MEPs criticized Germany for not granting Serbia the EU candidate status in December, but German MEP Doris Pack said that Germany was not the only country that had opposed the idea. She underscored that German and Austrian troops had been attacked in northern Kosovo in December, but added that she also believed Serbia should be granted the candidate status, but not a date for the beginning of the talks. The EP draft resolution points out that negotiations with Belgrade, given the EC’s opinion on Serbia’s progress given in October 2011, “should start as soon as possible which would show EU’s commitment to the country’s EU accession perspective”. B92 Beta Tanjug

EP Foreign Affairs Committee backs resolution on Serbia

Almost all of the MEPs, who discussed a draft resolution that urges the European Council to grant Serbia the candidate status in March, supported the position.

MEP and EP Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin, who presented the draft resolution, pointed out that Serbia had achieved all the key goals with the implemented reforms, full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and the dialogue with Priština.

He added that Serbia was facing challenges in the region, especially when it came to Kosovo, but stressed that the country had made an excellent progress bearing in mind that there was no dialogue between Belgrade and Priština a year before.

“The situation with Kosovo is unsatisfactory but President (Boris) Tadić has called for the removal of the barricades and Belgrade has done everything in its power to remove the barricades and allow free flow of people, goods and capital,” Kacin stressed.

The Committee members will submit amendments to the draft resolution by the end of the month and discuss them on February 29. The final version will be adopted on March 1.

Kacin and majority of MEPs pointed out that Serbia and the entire region were facing great challenges regarding the rule of law and combat against “systemic corruption”.

He stressed that professionals in judiciary needed to be allowed to do their job independently and responsibly but stressed that the judiciary reform and strengthening of the rule of law were process that took years.

Certain MEPs warned that European business circles complained about the Serbian laws and asked the Belgrade authorities to make steps toward a thorough judicial reform.

An EC official stressed that the reform was well underway in Serbia and that this was also a conclusion of independent experts, adding that the Serbian authorities had started the reform even before the EU membership negotiations.

The MEPs stated that granting of the EU candidate to Serbia would be an important message to the entire Western Balkans that the EU enlargement process was continuing.

Some of the MEPs criticized Germany for not granting Serbia the EU candidate status in December, but German MEP Doris Pack said that Germany was not the only country that had opposed the idea.

She underscored that German and Austrian troops had been attacked in northern Kosovo in December, but added that she also believed Serbia should be granted the candidate status, but not a date for the beginning of the talks.

The EP draft resolution points out that negotiations with Belgrade, given the EC’s opinion on Serbia’s progress given in October 2011, “should start as soon as possible which would show EU’s commitment to the country’s EU accession perspective”.