Brussels, 18/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - On 17 December, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle announced that the opening of negotiations should take place on 21 January with the first intergovernmental conference. In its conclusions, the Foreign Affairs Council stated that the first conference “will take place in January”, without giving more detail, and it said that it had adopted the general EU position on accession negotiations with Serbia, including the negotiating framework. “The adoption of this framework is an important step”, said Füle. Serbia obtained candidate status in March 2012.
In their conclusions, the ministers call on Belgrade to pay particular attention to the rule of law, notably the reform of the judiciary and the fight against corruption and organised crime, public administration reform, the independence of key institutions, media freedom, further improving the business environment and the rights and inclusion of vulnerable groups, particularly the Roma, as well as to the effective implementation of legislation on the protection of minorities. Serbia should also continue to constructively engage in regional cooperation and strengthen relations with neighbouring countries, the ministers add. They reiterate that the Council will continue to monitor closely Serbia's continued engagement in the normalisation of relations with Kosovo. (CG/transl.fl)