Brussels, 21/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Serbia has been given hope that, before the end of this year, it will be placed on the “white list” of non-EU countries whose nationals are able to enter the Schengen area without visas. Commissioner Olli Rehn announced on Monday that the European Commission would present a report “before the end of the Czech Presidency” at the end of June on the extent to which the Western Balkan countries are meeting the criteria set out by the Commission in its roadmap with a view to visa liberalisation. In the report, the Commission will make precise recommendations on each of the countries, judged “on the basis of their own merits,” Rehn said after a meeting with Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremiæ in Brussels on 20 April. It will then be for the Council to decide, by qualified majority, for which countries visa requirements will be removed, if all goes to plan, before the end of the year. Serbia's chances of being among these countries are good. “2009 may become the year in which there is visa liberalisation for all Serbian citizens,” Rehn told press, pointing out that “there are reasons to be hopeful”. Jeremiæ was also upbeat; he said that he expected the Commission recommendation to be for Serbia. Belgrade had done everything in its power to meet the criteria set out in the Commission's roadmap, because visa liberalisation was the Serbian government's “utmost short-term priority”, the minister said.
Budget support and macro-financial aid. Rehn and Jeremiæ also announced that the Commission and the Serbian authorities were very close to agreeing budget support for Serbia to help it deal with the financial and economic crisis. To this end, the Commission will convert half the pre-accession aid for this year (almost €100 million) into budget support (see EUROPE 9868). At the same time, the Commission is also considering macro-economic and macro-financial aid for Serbia, Rehn said. “We want to show that the EU cares for Serbia in this difficult situation,” he stated.
SAA. There was nothing new to report, however, on the stabilisation and association agreement (SAA), the ratification process of which remains at a standstill, blocked by the Dutch veto. A Dutch diplomat said on Monday that the Netherlands was still waiting for Serbia to demonstrate clearly that it is fully cooperating with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and for it to arrest General Radko Mladic who stands accused of war crimes. In addition to blocking ratification of the SAA, the Dutch veto is also stopping the implementation of the interim agreement which would allow the trade chapter of the SAA to be applied without waiting for ratification. Faced with this situation, Serbia has decided to unilaterally put the interim agreement into effect, a decision specifically welcomed by Rehn on Monday.
Kosovo. Jeremiæ again told press that Serbia would “not recognise Kosovo under any circumstances whatsoever”, even if the International Court of Justice, to which Belgrade referred the case, were to conclude that the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo in February 2008 does not breach international law. (H.B./transl.rt)