European Integration Committee members Laszlo Varga, Committee Deputy Chairman, and Vesna Markovic, Committee member, took part in the meeting.

The representatives of the Italian Government presented the priorities of the Italian Presidency of the European Union: economic growth and reduction of the unemployment rate, increased inclusion of the citizens in EU decision-making processes and an increase in the EU’s global role, within which Italy finds EU enlargement very important. They underlined that Italy endorses Serbia’s integration and expects chapter 32 to be opened during the Italian Presidency.

The meeting also dealt with the use of European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020. In his address, Laszlo Varga stressed that Serbia was ready to cooperate with its neighbours, via joint IPA projects, on remedying the impact of the May 2014 floods and use the relief funds the European Union extended Serbia via the IPA funds transparently. He thanked the EU and its member states for their solidarity and the aid collected at the donor conference in Brussels on 16 July 2014.