Q:
A:
Serbia ready for EU membership in 2012
Belgrade,
7 April 2006
Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Miroljub Labus has said that Serbia has crossed two-thirds of the road to the EU adding that what remains is the harder part of the job in order to become member of the European family.
Miroljub Labus
Author:
FoNet
Addressing the 3rd conference of regional metal industry unions organised by the Nezavisnost union, Labus spoke about the process of adjusting the Serbian economy to EU standards and the importance of regional cooperation for the country’s overall economic development.
He expressed hope that negotiations on the Stablisation and Association Agreement (SAA) will be finalised in July and that our country will submit a candidacy for the EU in 2008 or in 2009.
He said that the second official round of negotiations with the EU that ended on April 5 was successful and added that the next round of talks scheduled for May 12 will address a more relaxed visa regime. It is particularly important to ease the visa regime, Labus said noting that these will not be just symbolic but practical gestures of the EU.
According to Labus, duties for non-sensitive products will be abolished immediately upon the signing of the agreement, duties for sensitive products will follow two years later, duties for very sensitive products should be abolished four years later, while duties on most sensitive products will have a transitional period of six years.
Cooperation with the countries in the region is very important on the road to EU membership bearing in mind that investment can be attracted only if there is a big market, said Labus.
In that context, he recalled the initiative of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe on forming a free trade zone in the region with the aim of creating a unique Balkan trade zone with some 55 million people.
He expressed hope that negotiations on the Stablisation and Association Agreement (SAA) will be finalised in July and that our country will submit a candidacy for the EU in 2008 or in 2009.
He said that the second official round of negotiations with the EU that ended on April 5 was successful and added that the next round of talks scheduled for May 12 will address a more relaxed visa regime. It is particularly important to ease the visa regime, Labus said noting that these will not be just symbolic but practical gestures of the EU.
According to Labus, duties for non-sensitive products will be abolished immediately upon the signing of the agreement, duties for sensitive products will follow two years later, duties for very sensitive products should be abolished four years later, while duties on most sensitive products will have a transitional period of six years.
Cooperation with the countries in the region is very important on the road to EU membership bearing in mind that investment can be attracted only if there is a big market, said Labus.
In that context, he recalled the initiative of the Stability Pact for Southeastern Europe on forming a free trade zone in the region with the aim of creating a unique Balkan trade zone with some 55 million people.
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