The decision of the European Commission to recommend to the EU Council the opening of negotiations on Serbia’s membership, is certainly positive news for citizens and the country. Still, it is not certain whether 27 foreign ministers of member states will confirm the EC position.
EU Council, at its meeting in Luxembourg, evaluated the agreement between Serbia and Kosovo on normalizing relations as “historic”, but the decision to grant a negotiation date is postponed til June. According to the opinion of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, there was not enough time to take a definitive stand, since only on Friday the document was initialed.
Maja Bobic, Secretary General of the European Movement in Serbia, commented that it is good that the European Commission and the EU High Representative Catherine Ashton presented a clear assessment (that Serbia has fulfilled the key condition and progressed towards a visible and sustainable improvement of relations with Kosovo) and consequently gave unequivocal recommendation to open accession negotiations.
“It is extremely important not only for Serbia, which will start important reform issues, but for the region and for the EU, which confirms the credibility of international relations and commitment to the enlargement policy,” says Bobic. As pointed out, for Serbia is now “crucial to implement its commitments, to further interpret the provisions of the agreement which was initialed, but also to consistently devote to all other problems in the establishment of the modern state.”
Predrag Simic, a professor of political science, said that the European Commission’s recommendations “show that hazardous move that Belgrade delegation made in talks with Pristina paid off, which means the optimistic phase in Serbian politics.”
Drago Hedl, a journalist from Zagreb’s Jutarnji List, estimates that this is “the first major step on the road to Brussels,” and reminds us that Croatia’s accession negotiations took almost a decade, which was labeled with “difficult times, delays and a series of concessions.” “The same thing is waiting Serbia. But once you go down that road, coming to a goal is certain, and how much it will take, depends on Serbia’s readiness to implement reforms,” pointed out Hedl.
The EC report, which was disclosed yesterday at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg, said that Serbia has taken important steps to improve relations with Kosovo in line with the conclusions of the European Council from December 2012. In addition, the Commission will continue to monitor the progress of Serbia in meeting the Copenhagen criteria and the conditions that are part of Stabilization and Association Process.
Serbian authorities, as it was written in the report, carried out reforms in key areas of the rule of law, particularly judicial reform, fight against corruption, independence of key institutions, and freedom of the press.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fule, who will on Friday visit Belgrade, said that “Serbia and Kosovo have demonstrated that they can focus on the future,” while Ashton praised both sides for “courage and vision”.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said yesterday that it is important that the agreement between Belgrade and Pristina is implemented, while the Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said that “the Rubicon is crossed”.
Suzana Grubjesic, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, said that the EC’s recommendation is a chance for Serbia to move forward. European Parliament Rapporteur for Serbia, Jelko Kacin welcomed the Commission’s decision, noting that it is “expected and welcomed.”
