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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Six working groups for negotiations with EU to be established

Belgrade, 20 May 2005

The Serbian government decided at yesterday's session to form working groups for negotiations with the European Union on the Agreement on stabilisation and association.

The government plans to form six working groups - for goods; agriculture and services; free flow of capital and financial cooperation; harmonisation of laws; transitional and final provisions, and a working group for preamble and political cooperation.

Since negotiations on the Agreement on stabilisation and association refer to deadlines for gradual liberalisation of the Serbian economy and harmonisation of legislation, the working groups will have a task to prepare a well worked out platform for negotiations and offer expert support to the government's negotiating team, led by Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus.

The working groups will have the task to make a list of sensitive products, analyse the influence of liberalisation to certain sectors and determine the pace and volume of the harmonisation of legislation with EU regulations. Also, they will define cooperation in certain policies, and in association with the Montenegrin government they will precisely define the negotiating position on the preamble and political part of the Agreement, since this part of the document can influence the pace and quality of the EU accession.

The government tasked the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, the Ministry of International Economic Relations and the EU Integration Office to propose the composition of the working groups on the level of assistant ministers within 15 days. These Ministries and the Office are also required to take part in the work of all working groups and prepare a proposal of platform for negotiations.