Highlighting the opening of a cluster of EU accession negotiation chapters in December (see EUROPE 12853/10) and the approval of constitutional reform by Serbs on 16 January (see EUROPE 12870/12), the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called on the country on Tuesday 25 January to “maintain the momentum”.
At the end of the 6th EU-Serbia Association and Stabilisation Council in Brussels, the High Representative therefore called for the implementation of necessary reforms, including on the rule of law and media freedom. The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi, called on Belgrade to adopt and implement the legislation related to the approval of the constitutional reform.
Prime Minister Ana Brnabić was reassuring, explaining that her country was working on judicial reform, public administration reform, but also on economic reforms to enable Serbia to strengthen its market economy, and on reforms related to the ‘Green Deal’.
The Commissioner hoped that by the end of June Belgrade could open the ‘cluster’ 3 chapters of negotiations, on resources, agriculture and cohesion. Mrs Brnabić shared this wish, adding that she would like to see another ‘cluster’ opened by the end of the year, without specifying which one.
Mr Borrell also recalled that rapid progress was needed in the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. He said he expected both sides to put in place the elements that are not in place and that have been previously agreed. The High Representative announced that the EU Special Representative, Miroslav Lajčák, would visit the country next week together with the US representative, Gabriel Escobar.
Mr Várhelyi, for his part, called for the April presidential, parliamentary and municipal elections to be “free, fair” and for all those who wish to participate to be able to do so.
See the joint statement: https://bit.ly/3Axve8L (Original version in French by Camille Cerise Gessant)