Brussels, 19/03/2013 (Agence Europe) - Visiting Belgrade on 18 March to meet Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic, Prime Minister Ivica Dacic and members of the opposition, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle said that the European Commission and the Serbian institutions are working “on the common objective of bringing Serbia not only closer to the EU, but into the EU”. He added that there could be a great step towards this objective in 2013 with the possible opening of accession negotiations. Füle reiterated that the opening of these negotiations depends on Serbia's progress in its reforms and on the normalisation of its relations with Kosovo.
Underlining the government's determination to make progress on reforms in the areas of the judicial system, the fight against corruption and against discrimination, Füle said that “this needs to be continued so that the reforms bring concrete results for the (Serbian) citizens”. “When it comes to important reforms, it is crucial to have sustainable long term strategies”, he added, stating that quality should take precedence over speed and highlighting the importance of doing this in consultation with all stakeholders. “For reforms to succeed, you need to pay attention to the input of independent bodies and to ensure sufficient time for the parliament. An effective coordination of bodies in charge will also be necessary”, he added.
Füle reiterated that although the progress report on Serbia will be published on 16 April, the work “needs to continue beyond that. In some areas efforts even need to be intensified, particularly in the judiciary, the anti-corruption strategy, anti-discrimination, media freedom, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups”. The Commission publishes progress reports on candidate or potential candidate countries every autumn. (CG/transl.fl)