At the sitting of the European Integrations Committee held on 13 November, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Government of Serbia in charge of European integration, Bozidar Djelic informed the Committee members on the planned and fulfilled obligations and on the realisation of all the programmes and other activities necessary to speed up Serbia’s process of accession to the European Union. The Sitting was chaired by Laslo Varga, Committee Chairman.

Deputy Prime Minister Djelic said that there has been progress in bringing Serbia closer to the European Union in the period since the formation of the Government. According to his estimate, the only obstacle to the implementation of the Transitional Trade Agreement and the commencement of ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the European Union, is full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. He also proposed that, through interparliamentary cooperation, Serbia should stimulate a change in Holland’s strict position on what ‘full cooperation” means.

Djelic stressed that Serbia is doing everything to complete the cooperation with the Hague Tribunal and expects that, after visiting Serbia, Chief Prosecutor Brammertz will state full cooperation with the Tribunal in his report to the UN Security Council. He also said that the deployment of the EULEX mission in Kosovo-Metohija is not a condition for Serbia’s European integration, because the solution of the future status of the province and Serbia’s European integration are separate processes.

Djelic pointed out the need to continue the economic and administrative reform, at the same time stressing that the bills on the protection of competition and state aid should be adopted by the end of the year.

Talking about the issue of visa liberalisation with EU countries, the Deputy Prime Minister said that Serbia is one of two countries assured by the European Commission that they can count on being placed on the Schengen “white list”, if they meet the necessary administrative conditions.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that, in its report, the European Commission stated for the first time that Serbia can receive the status of candidate for full EU membership in 2009, which is in its financial interest.

The Committee members requested that the European Commission’s Report on the implementation of reform in Serbia on its road to European integration be discussed at the nest sitting, as well as to continue the already commenced discussion on the Serbian Government’s information.