Q:
A:
Additional consultations on readmission needed
Brussels/Belgrade,
11 April 2007
Director of the Serbian government's EU Integration Office Tanja Miscevic said that after four hours of negotiating Serbia and the European Union did not initial the agreement on visa relaxations and readmission today in Brussels, as was expected, because they did not manage to agree on the final, disputed item concerning readmission.
File photo of Tanja Miscevic
Author:
Fonet
Miscevic explained that that item deals with accepting citizens of third countries who entered the EU illegally through Serbia, so additional consultations will be needed on that issue, both in Belgrade and in Brussels.
She voiced hope that by the end of April, when European Commission representatives will come to Belgrade, a solution will have been found and the agreement initialled, but she underlined that the issue of readmission must be considered very seriously because it entails both security and financial costs.
Miscevic recalled that the agreement on visa relaxations and readmission should be signed in autumn this year and come into force on January 1, 2008.
According to the agreement on readmission, between 100,000 and 150,000 Serbian citizens who illegally reside in the EU would have to be returned to Serbia.
She explained that these Serbian citizens are not the problem since Serbia is obliged to take back its citizens, but the problem are citizens of third countries who are only indirectly our obligation.
She explained that the problem is of procedural nature and concerns establishing responsibility for those citizens of third countries who are illegally residing in the EU, and used to have visas for Serbia.
Serbia believes that it cannot be held responsible for the admission of all foreign citizens who had a Serbian visa in their passports at one moment of time.
We did not want to create a problem for ourselves just for the sake of intialling the agreement because we do not want to have an agreement that cannot be implemented, Miscevic pointed out and explained that the aim is to find a solution that will solve the question of those people in the best way.
As for visa relaxations, Miscevic said that agreement has been reached concerning all categories of Serbian citizens and elements of the agreement and added that the agreement on readmission must come into force together with the agreement on visa relaxations.
She voiced hope that by the end of April, when European Commission representatives will come to Belgrade, a solution will have been found and the agreement initialled, but she underlined that the issue of readmission must be considered very seriously because it entails both security and financial costs.
Miscevic recalled that the agreement on visa relaxations and readmission should be signed in autumn this year and come into force on January 1, 2008.
According to the agreement on readmission, between 100,000 and 150,000 Serbian citizens who illegally reside in the EU would have to be returned to Serbia.
She explained that these Serbian citizens are not the problem since Serbia is obliged to take back its citizens, but the problem are citizens of third countries who are only indirectly our obligation.
She explained that the problem is of procedural nature and concerns establishing responsibility for those citizens of third countries who are illegally residing in the EU, and used to have visas for Serbia.
Serbia believes that it cannot be held responsible for the admission of all foreign citizens who had a Serbian visa in their passports at one moment of time.
We did not want to create a problem for ourselves just for the sake of intialling the agreement because we do not want to have an agreement that cannot be implemented, Miscevic pointed out and explained that the aim is to find a solution that will solve the question of those people in the best way.
As for visa relaxations, Miscevic said that agreement has been reached concerning all categories of Serbian citizens and elements of the agreement and added that the agreement on readmission must come into force together with the agreement on visa relaxations.
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