Serbia will be EU-ready in 2012

great news, but who´ll need eu in 2012??

or has ds a similar great future for serbia like croatia (waiting 18 years on western promisses, doing nothing, double living standard of serbia financed with thrice as much debt than serbia)???

by the way, britain wants to veto a new eu-constitution & without constitution there will be no new members!

it´s a shame to see on what nonsense serbia is wasting tax- and personal resources.

Raso, you are right regarding the UK stance on any re-introduction of EU constitution - the UK would have to have a referendum and the electorate are very anti-constitution. The only alternative is a watered down treaty but that has it's own problems and there is great discord about the future progress - I really can't see what Merkel will achieve in the next 5 months - the first month passing by rapidly.

Serbia on the otherhand needs to drive through reforms of its institutions and the EU framework is a standard it should sign upto. However, it should be doing this for itself and not for the goal of EU membership. Real economic development comes due to changes from within and not specifically forced from outside. Being where it is geographically and equally outside of the EU, Serbia could potentally be a better option economically then some of the neighbouring countries that are within the EU. If it can get free trade and movement of goods with the EU but Serbia could pull in investment by seting its tax level below the EU. It would have more flexibility and can react faster to business needs then being tied into the EU - something that many eurosceptics in the UK argue for.

Serbia must attract MASSIVE amounts of capital in order to raise itself to first world status.The present political and ideological debates going on in the EU about whether it should be largely a free trade/economic zone or whether it should develop into a United States of Europe is irrelevant to Serbia probably for the next 10 years.During this period Serbia should have the LOWEST tax rates in all of Europe while simultaneously accelerating the implementation of standards in all areas of the economy.Nobody in any market(EU-Russia-China-US-CEFTA-etc.)is going to buy Serbian goods if the quality is lacking or at least the perception exists that quality is way behind acceptable standards.The EU has NOT accepted/implemented the present constitution and even if it does in some form or other it will not disqualify future membership.Notice how they are talking about an exception for Croatia to join as early as 2009 even though some point to the 27 limitation provision.ANY article in ANY document can be changed due to evolving/emerging realities.As an American economist I do not care if the EU ever passes a constitution but it amazes me that any person with a basic understanding of Economics 101 argues against the inclusion of Serbia in a developed market of 490 million at present with more in the future.The EU is a VOLUNTARY union of countries and ANY are free to leave at ANY time.Princip- even the Greeks and British who are arrogant and engage in anti-EU rhetoric have not seen fit to WITHDRAW from the EU.There is no instance of any of the 27 countries being worse off economically after having joined the EU than before or else COMMON SENSE would tell you that any one of them would have left and yet I do not see any rational economist or even politician advocating for the abolishment of the free trade area.I implore all of you to separate the political from the economic and stop embarrassing yourselves by indulging in economic dissertations when it is obvious that you lack elementary knowledge of what it takes to have a developed first world economy.I personally have always advocated for the separation of economic issues from political ones(Kosovo's status and the indictee issue)and am glad to see my suggestion being put into practice slowly but surely by enough people in Europe so that Serbia has a chance to catch up to the rest of the former Socialist countries who are today PROSPERING in the EU.The Czech Republic has a per capita of $20k and exports $80B worth of goods-Serbia has a per capita of $5k and exports $5B worth of goods.Take these figures to the bank and see who gets respect.It is time for Serbia to put to rest this stupid debate about where it economically/psychologically/mentally belongs because to any objective person looking at a map of Europe Serbia is right in the HEART of Europe.End of story!!!

great news, but who´ll need eu in 2012??

or has ds a similar great future for serbia like croatia (waiting 18 years on western promisses, doing nothing, double living standard of serbia financed with thrice as much debt than serbia)???

by the way, britain wants to veto a new eu-constitution & without constitution there will be no new members!

it´s a shame to see on what nonsense serbia is wasting tax- and personal resources.

Raso, you are right regarding the UK stance on any re-introduction of EU constitution - the UK would have to have a referendum and the electorate are very anti-constitution. The only alternative is a watered down treaty but that has it's own problems and there is great discord about the future progress - I really can't see what Merkel will achieve in the next 5 months - the first month passing by rapidly.

Serbia on the otherhand needs to drive through reforms of its institutions and the EU framework is a standard it should sign upto. However, it should be doing this for itself and not for the goal of EU membership. Real economic development comes due to changes from within and not specifically forced from outside. Being where it is geographically and equally outside of the EU, Serbia could potentally be a better option economically then some of the neighbouring countries that are within the EU. If it can get free trade and movement of goods with the EU but Serbia could pull in investment by seting its tax level below the EU. It would have more flexibility and can react faster to business needs then being tied into the EU - something that many eurosceptics in the UK argue for.

Serbia must attract MASSIVE amounts of capital in order to raise itself to first world status.The present political and ideological debates going on in the EU about whether it should be largely a free trade/economic zone or whether it should develop into a United States of Europe is irrelevant to Serbia probably for the next 10 years.During this period Serbia should have the LOWEST tax rates in all of Europe while simultaneously accelerating the implementation of standards in all areas of the economy.Nobody in any market(EU-Russia-China-US-CEFTA-etc.)is going to buy Serbian goods if the quality is lacking or at least the perception exists that quality is way behind acceptable standards.The EU has NOT accepted/implemented the present constitution and even if it does in some form or other it will not disqualify future membership.Notice how they are talking about an exception for Croatia to join as early as 2009 even though some point to the 27 limitation provision.ANY article in ANY document can be changed due to evolving/emerging realities.As an American economist I do not care if the EU ever passes a constitution but it amazes me that any person with a basic understanding of Economics 101 argues against the inclusion of Serbia in a developed market of 490 million at present with more in the future.The EU is a VOLUNTARY union of countries and ANY are free to leave at ANY time.Princip- even the Greeks and British who are arrogant and engage in anti-EU rhetoric have not seen fit to WITHDRAW from the EU.There is no instance of any of the 27 countries being worse off economically after having joined the EU than before or else COMMON SENSE would tell you that any one of them would have left and yet I do not see any rational economist or even politician advocating for the abolishment of the free trade area.I implore all of you to separate the political from the economic and stop embarrassing yourselves by indulging in economic dissertations when it is obvious that you lack elementary knowledge of what it takes to have a developed first world economy.I personally have always advocated for the separation of economic issues from political ones(Kosovo's status and the indictee issue)and am glad to see my suggestion being put into practice slowly but surely by enough people in Europe so that Serbia has a chance to catch up to the rest of the former Socialist countries who are today PROSPERING in the EU.The Czech Republic has a per capita of $20k and exports $80B worth of goods-Serbia has a per capita of $5k and exports $5B worth of goods.Take these figures to the bank and see who gets respect.It is time for Serbia to put to rest this stupid debate about where it economically/psychologically/mentally belongs because to any objective person looking at a map of Europe Serbia is right in the HEART of Europe.End of story!!!