Brussels, 25/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - Adopting a report on Thursday 25 October by Jelko Kacin (ALDE, Slovenia) on the EU's relations with Serbia, the European Parliament hailed progress in Serbia last year but called on it to intensify efforts in several domains.
The European Commission is preparing to publish its annual progress reports on 6 November, and the MEPs welcomed the conclusion of technical negotiations over a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia. The agreement will be subject to full cooperation by Serbia with the ICTY and may be signed by the end of the year. Last week, addressing EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg (see EUROPE 9523), Carla del Ponte said there had been failure to cooperate from Belgrade. She said the situation was better now than it had been a year ago but cooperation was still too slow and paltry, speaking ahead of a new two-day visit to Serbia on 25 October to examine any progress that might have been made. The report says that settlement of the question of the status of Kosovo would consolidate stability in the Western Balkans and facilitate integration.
The EP welcomed the economic progress achieved since 2000 by Serbia, and greater transparency in the Serbian government and parliament's action, but regretted the fact the appointment of judges to the Constitutional Court remained hanging. The EP is pleased that Serbia has a new constitution but points out that the legal framework on the protection of minorities needed improving and remained a concern due to certain questionable measures like the appointment, promotion and recall procedure for judges and public prosecutors.
The question of war criminals that Serbia is dragging its feet over, and improving the conditions under which Serb citizens can travel around in Europe, were also discussed in the EP's debate on 24 October.
To date, Serbia has failed to meet its commitments and arrest war criminals, Karadzic in particular, said the rapporteur, Jelko Kacin, at the start of the debate, adding that the Serbian state had to prove itself. Picking up on a comment by Carla del Ponte, the rapporteur said the authorities were perfectly able to track down the wanted war criminals, and the EU should not make any concessions in this connection by signing an SAA. He said turning a blind eye to war criminals might be realpolitik, but it did not allow long-term peace to be established. He preferred to call for an easing of the visa system, which is felt to be too tight.
Agreeing with the importance of relaxing the visa system, Olli Rehn said the European Commission would enter dialogue early next year with each of the Western Balkan states to draw up a road map for the visa system. 'We are at a critical juncture in our relations with Serbia,' said Enlargement Commissioner Rehn, who will be publishing a regular report on Serbia on 6 November 2007. The glass is half full rather than half empty, he said, adding that Belgrade had to demonstrate political will. He pointed out that 20 of the 24 wanted war criminals had been arrested, calling for rapid arrest of the remaining four. The signing of an SAA would require full cooperation with the ICTY, said Rehn, adding that when Serbia was ready to respect the conditions, the Commission would be too.
The first person to point out that everyone agreed on an EU future for Serbia was Gyorgy Schopflin (EPP-ED, Hungary), adding that some more time would still be needed before the Copenhagen Criteria were respected, however. He was echoed by Hannes Swoboda (PES, Austria), who regretted that there were still too many nationalists on the Serbian political chessboard and society in general, including the elite. The question of Kosovo hangs like a black cloud over Serbia, said Doris Pack (EPP-ED, Germany). Convinced of the negative role played by Serbia in the talks on the future of Kosovo, Joost Lagendijk (Greens/EFA, the Netherlands) regretted that the EP resolution made no connection between this and Serbia joining the EU. An approach rejected by Belgian Socialist Veronique de Keyser, who did not want the EP to get involved in political horsetrading or parallel diplomacy.
Portuguese European Affairs Minister Manuel Lobo Antunes said everyone agreed on the prospects of Serbia joining the EU in the future but they knew that this would not be without certain preconditions. Olli Rehn said the ball was now in the Serbian court and Serbia should be supported. (A.B.)