Luxembourg, 22/04/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 22 April, the European Commission adopted its recommendations for opening accession negotiations with Serbia, announced Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle. He described the day as “historic”, although the European Council will still have to give its opinion in June. In the conclusions of the progress report on Serbia, the Commission considers that Belgrade “sufficiently fulfils the political criteria and conditions of the stabilisation and association process”, and the Commission maintains its assessment concerning the economic criteria.
The Commission considers that Serbia has responded to the key priority of taking steps towards a visible and sustainable improvement of relations with Kosovo, and says that Belgrade has taken “very significant steps” towards the “visible and sustainable” improvement of relations with Kosovo, in line with the Council conclusions of 11 December 2012 (see EUROPE 10750). The report highlights the agreement “of principles governing the normalisation of relations” signed with Kosovo on 19 April (see EUROPE 10831 and other article) and implementation of the agreements obtained during the various dialogue meetings - agreements on issues such as the representation of Kosovo in regional forums, integrated border management, land registry and civil registry, the protection of religious and cultural sites, and the acceptance of university diplomas. Cooperation with EULEX has continued to improve in certain areas, and Belgrade and Pristina have also agreed to start customs collections and to establish a fund for the development of northern Kosovo, the Commission's report noted.
Progress on reforms. The Commission also stressed that Serbia “has undertaken to reinvigorate the momentum of reforms in the key areas of the rule of law”, particularly judicial reform and anti-corruption policy, the independence of key institutions, media freedom, anti-discrimination policy, the protection of minorities and the business environment. These are areas for which Serbia has started “developing a comprehensive and long-term vision”. However, the Commission also states that the reforms in these areas are “in the making” and that progress will have to be sustained over time - particularly in the case of the judiciary. The Serbian government has demonstrated in recent months its commitment to a positive contribution to regional cooperation, the report also states. (CG/transl.fl)