Brussels, 21/11/2000 (Agence Europe) - The Council has extended to the whole of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) the exceptional trade measures already applied to countries and territories that take part in the stabilisation and association process implemented by the EU in favour of the Western Balkans. Given that these measures were already in application in Montenegro (for aluminium) and in Kosovo, this extension means in practice that they are now applicable to Serbia. The Council had given its political agreement to this measure on 9 October. It has now been implemented.
The Council stresses that such measures meet the specific situation of the Western Balkans. The EU thus confirms, on the eve of the Zagreb Summit, its determination to promote the development of its trade with the Western Balkans as a whole (for which the Union is already the main trading partner) and to contribute to the stabilisation policy and to economic development in that region.