"Screening: Start of new stage on road to EU"

BELGRADE The explanatory screening will begin in Brussels on Wednesday, marking a new stage on Serbia's path to EU membership. It is a long process of reviewing the situation and determining the level of harmonization of Serbia's economic and legal system with EU standards, creating the foundation for the accession talks, which should start in January 2014 at the latest, Tanjug has reported. "Screening: Start of new stage on road to EU" The screening will begin with a meeting of a group of Serbian experts with their colleagues from the European Commission, and the first topic will be the judiciary and human rights, which is related to chapter 23 of the accession talks. It is simply the start of discussions between legal experts, which will go on for months, Peter Stano, spokesperson of EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, told Tanjug, adding that, unlike the negotiations, this was a technical, not a political, process. However, Belgrade places great significance on the start of the screening process and sees it as an important step towards the EU. "As far as we are concerned, the accession talks begin with the screening," head of Serbia's team for the talks Tanjug Miscevic told reporters during a recent visit to Brussels. Although the talks will formally start with an intergovernmental conference in January, the screening is a precious opportunity to study and understand the negotiating process, Miscevic noted. The screening will expand in October to include chapters 24 and 32, which refer to justice, freedom, security and financial control, and in time, it will cover all 35 chapters, which need to be closed in order for Serbia to become a member of the EU. Tanjug

"Screening: Start of new stage on road to EU"

The screening will begin with a meeting of a group of Serbian experts with their colleagues from the European Commission, and the first topic will be the judiciary and human rights, which is related to chapter 23 of the accession talks.

It is simply the start of discussions between legal experts, which will go on for months, Peter Stano, spokesperson of EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, told Tanjug, adding that, unlike the negotiations, this was a technical, not a political, process.

However, Belgrade places great significance on the start of the screening process and sees it as an important step towards the EU.

"As far as we are concerned, the accession talks begin with the screening," head of Serbia's team for the talks Tanjug Miscevic told reporters during a recent visit to Brussels.

Although the talks will formally start with an intergovernmental conference in January, the screening is a precious opportunity to study and understand the negotiating process, Miscevic noted.

The screening will expand in October to include chapters 24 and 32, which refer to justice, freedom, security and financial control, and in time, it will cover all 35 chapters, which need to be closed in order for Serbia to become a member of the EU.