Brussels, 02/03/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Council agreed on Thursday 2 March to grant Serbia the status of candidate country for accession to the EU, following the recommendation from the General Affairs Council of 28 February. In its conclusions, the European Council said that “Serbia has continued to show credible commitment and achieved further progress in the implementation of agreements reached in the dialogue with Kosovo, including on integrated border management”. Leaders also “noted” that an agreement has been reached between Belgrade and Pristina on 24 February on inclusive regional cooperation, and that Serbia has actively cooperated to enable the EULEX and KFOR missions to execute their mandates.
Describing the granting of candidate status as “an extremely important decision” which provides a key Western Balkans state with prospects of joining the European Union, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said he hoped this status would encourage Serbia to undertake further efforts to fulfil the EU's political and economic criteria. “I hope, too, that Belgrade will continue to support regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations in the Western Balkans”, he added. He stated that at no time had Romania linked granting candidate status to Serbia with its own accession to the Schengen area.
Noting that Croatia will soon become an EU member state, French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that “it is unthinkable that some Balkans countries could be in the EU and others not, especially Serbia. I'm not saying right away, immediately. I am well aware of the distance that still has to be covered, but if Europe's message to Serbia was 'never', that would be nothing short of folly”. He argued that the best way to reduce tensions in the Balkans is for “everyone to have a European perspective one day or another”. “Having democratic principles is the best response to nationalistic sentiments which are still strong in that part of the world and to territorial wounds that are still fresh”, he added. UK Prime Minister said that Serbia must focus on the rule of law.
Serbian President Boris Tadic welcomed the status, pointing out that “it is the citizens of Serbia who have born the brunt of the reforms carried out to transform our country into a democratic society in which human rights and minority rights are respected and European values affirmed”. Tadic, a pro-European, said that one of the advantages of the status lay in the economic security it brings. He made clear that Serbia had some very serious work ahead of it before being able to open accession negotiations, the next stage of the EU accession process.
Serbia submitted its application for EU membership in 2009. It is not expected to become part of the EU before the end of this decade, however. (CG with SP and EH/transl.rt)