Brussels, 07/12/2009 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 7 December, the General Affairs Council gave its backing to the implementation of the Interim SAA, which will allow the trade chapter of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which the EU signed with Serbia, to come into play while awaiting ratification of the agreement. The Netherlands lifted its veto after Serge Brammertz, the Prosecutor on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) told the UN Security Council last week that cooperation between Belgrade and the Tribunal was continuing to grow stronger, while calling on the Serbian authorities to continue to be determined in their efforts to find Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic. On Monday, Brammertz presented his conclusion to ministers in Brussels. “The ball is in the Serbian authorities' court. I believe that there are real chances of the arrest” of the fugitives, he told journalists. While awaiting Serbia's “full cooperation” with the ICTY, the Netherlands is continuing to block the start of the ratification procedure for the full SAA. The unblocking of the interim SAA is likely to encourage Serbia swiftly to submit its candidacy for accession, perhaps even before the end of this year.
FYROM. On Monday evening, ministers were on the point of sending a signal of encouragement to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Even though the dispute with Greece over use of the name “Macedonia” is, for the moment, preventing any progress in the country's accession process, EU member states were discussing draft conclusions stating that the Council “will revert to the matter in March 2010 with a view to setting a date for the opening of accession negotiations”. As we were going to press, Greece was still opposed to any reference to a cut-off point of "March 2010", which it felt should be replaced with "as soon as possible". In its progress report, the Commission recommended that the Member States start accession negotiations with Skopje, but Greece opposes this for as long as the name issue remains unresolved. (H.B./trans.fl)