On Monday 27 February, Serbia opened the EU accession negotiation chapter on enterprise and industrial policy (Chapter 20), and opened and provisionally closed the negotiation chapter on education and culture (Chapter 26). With these chapters Serbia has now opened 8 out of 35 negotiation chapters and provisionally closed two.
During a press conference after the accession conference, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn described these chapter openings and closure as a significant achievement. He hoped that the electoral campaign in Serbia would not suspend the process but instead would give it further momentum. Malta's Deputy Prime Minister Luis Grech spoke on behalf of the Maltese Presidency of the EU Council and encouraged Serbia to continue its reform efforts – especially as regards the rule of law, human rights, public administration and economic governance.
While Serbia's minister without portfolio responsible for European integration, Jadranka Joksimovi, hoped Serbia would open other chapters under the Maltese Presidency, Grech underscored particular progress from Belgrade on Chapter 29 which deals with the customs union. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)