France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and the EU welcomed the 16 January referendum in Serbia on constitutional changes in a joint statement on Friday 14 January. They say it is “a key step” towards strengthening the independence of the judiciary and increasing the transparency and effectiveness of the country's rule of law institutions. “These reforms are a step forward towards Serbia’s alignment with European standards and will support Serbia's EU accession process”, they added. The five countries and the EU therefore encouraged all Serbian citizens to participate in the referendum, adding that it was important that eligible voters be able to cast their ballots. They regretted the Kosovar government’s refusal to allow the OSCE to collect ballots from eligible voters living in Kosovo. (CG)