“Kosovo is main condition for EU talks date”

BELGRADE, BRUSSELS The EC report, which Tanjug has seen, notes that Serbia will get a start date for the EU accession talks once it meets the key criteria related to Kosovo. The report on Serbia’s progress will be released on Wednesday. “Kosovo is main condition for EU talks date” “The Commission will draft the report when it determines that Serbia has achieved the necessary level of fulfillment of the criteria set by the Council on December 5, 2011, especially those related to Kosovo,” reads EC’s internal document on the 2012-2013 enlargement strategy. The document contains key parts of the report that will be officially presented on October 10. This means that the European Commission (EC) has postponed its decision to grant Serbia a date for the start of the EU talks until “there is a visible and sustainable improvement of relations with Kosovo that will allow both Serbia and Kosovo to make progress toward the EU and avoid mutual blockade,” as it is stated in the document. The EC noted in the strategic part that Serbia had made progress in fulfilling the political criteria from the Stabilization and Association Agreement but stressed that it was necessary to pay attention to the rule of law, reform of judiciary and independence of key institutions. “The main political requirement for getting a start date for the EU entry talks is a continuation of the dialogue with Pristina and implementation of the agreements reached so far,” Tanjug learned at Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Suzana Grubjesic’s office on Thursday evening. “In its report on Serbia's progress, the European Commission (EC) will give full support to the government to continue with the reforms, especially taking into account that the government was formed only two months ago, and that the report covers the last 12 months,” the deputy prime minister's office said. “The report will be officially released on October 10 and then we will be able to comment on and analyze it. What we can say at this moment, and what everybody knows, as that has been made clear several times - the main political requirement for obtaining a start date is a continuation of the dialogue with Pristina, and implementation of the agreements reached so far,” Tanjug was told. The report will not contain any surprises, as “it is the real, objective analysis of what was done during the previous year in all domains, and what should be done next, in the following year in particular,” it was underlined. Tanjug

“Kosovo is main condition for EU talks date”

“The Commission will draft the report when it determines that Serbia has achieved the necessary level of fulfillment of the criteria set by the Council on December 5, 2011, especially those related to Kosovo,” reads EC’s internal document on the 2012-2013 enlargement strategy.

The document contains key parts of the report that will be officially presented on October 10.

This means that the European Commission (EC) has postponed its decision to grant Serbia a date for the start of the EU talks until “there is a visible and sustainable improvement of relations with Kosovo that will allow both Serbia and Kosovo to make progress toward the EU and avoid mutual blockade,” as it is stated in the document.

The EC noted in the strategic part that Serbia had made progress in fulfilling the political criteria from the Stabilization and Association Agreement but stressed that it was necessary to pay attention to the rule of law, reform of judiciary and independence of key institutions.

“The main political requirement for getting a start date for the EU entry talks is a continuation of the dialogue with Priština and implementation of the agreements reached so far,” Tanjug learned at Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration Suzana Grubješić’s office on Thursday evening.

“In its report on Serbia's progress, the European Commission (EC) will give full support to the government to continue with the reforms, especially taking into account that the government was formed only two months ago, and that the report covers the last 12 months,” the deputy prime minister's office said.

“The report will be officially released on October 10 and then we will be able to comment on and analyze it. What we can say at this moment, and what everybody knows, as that has been made clear several times - the main political requirement for obtaining a start date is a continuation of the dialogue with Priština, and implementation of the agreements reached so far,” Tanjug was told.

The report will not contain any surprises, as “it is the real, objective analysis of what was done during the previous year in all domains, and what should be done next, in the following year in particular,” it was underlined.