Q:
A:
Acquiring candidate status for EU membership, joining white Schengen list by end 2008 in Serbia’s interest
Belgrade,
12 June 2007
Advisor to the Serbian Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration said today that it is in Serbia’s interest to realise two aims by the end of 2008, firstly to acquire candidate status for EU membership, secondly to join the white Schengen list.
In a statement to the news agency Tanjug prior to the continuation of negotiations tomorrow on Serbia’s EU association, Milivojevic said that it is necessary that specified objective criteria are met so that Serbia can be put on the white Schengen list, and added that these criteria regard legislation in the areas of visa, asylum, immigration and travel documents.
She explained that a policy decision by Brussels is also necessary for that, and expressed expectation that after fulfilling all these objective criteria that a policy decision could follow very quickly, at the latest by the end of 2008.
She said that harmonising regulations in Serbia with the EU is necessary practically in all areas for which EU legislation exists.
These are mainly all areas of life; to the highest degree this legislation is required in the sphere of economy, which is most well covered by European regulations, said Milivojevic and added that the process of harmonising lasts practically until membership of the EU.
According to Milivojevic, at this moment priorities for Serbia are laws which are needed for Serbia to join the white Schengen list, as well as efficient implementation of existing laws.
She stressed that this particularly applies to laws in the areas of fight against corruption and organised crime, competition protection and state support, respect of human and minority rights and building a civil society.
She said that tomorrow in Brussels, the first round of talks will be held in the framework of harmonising the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which above all implies political dialogue.
She explained that that will be the first around after the suspension of negotiations between Serbia and the EU, and will be official. Its basic goal is to go through the text of the Agreement once more, due to particularity of Serbia, which has not negotiated with the EU for a year.
After this round, there will be two more technical rounds that will mostly deal with economic and other technical issues.
With that, the negotiating process would be completed and that would be followed by the initialling and signing of the Agreement.
She explained that a policy decision by Brussels is also necessary for that, and expressed expectation that after fulfilling all these objective criteria that a policy decision could follow very quickly, at the latest by the end of 2008.
She said that harmonising regulations in Serbia with the EU is necessary practically in all areas for which EU legislation exists.
These are mainly all areas of life; to the highest degree this legislation is required in the sphere of economy, which is most well covered by European regulations, said Milivojevic and added that the process of harmonising lasts practically until membership of the EU.
According to Milivojevic, at this moment priorities for Serbia are laws which are needed for Serbia to join the white Schengen list, as well as efficient implementation of existing laws.
She stressed that this particularly applies to laws in the areas of fight against corruption and organised crime, competition protection and state support, respect of human and minority rights and building a civil society.
She said that tomorrow in Brussels, the first round of talks will be held in the framework of harmonising the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), which above all implies political dialogue.
She explained that that will be the first around after the suspension of negotiations between Serbia and the EU, and will be official. Its basic goal is to go through the text of the Agreement once more, due to particularity of Serbia, which has not negotiated with the EU for a year.
After this round, there will be two more technical rounds that will mostly deal with economic and other technical issues.
With that, the negotiating process would be completed and that would be followed by the initialling and signing of the Agreement.
-
Belgrade, 8 April 2026Serbia remains strongly committed to strengthening cooperation in region
-
Belgrade, 7 April 2026Serbia’s infrastructure, economic development through partnership with China
-
Belgrade, 6 April 2026Anniversary of 1941 bombing of Belgrade marked
-
Belgrade, 2 April 2026Serbian Army remains committed to UNIFIL tasks
-
Belgrade, 2 April 2026Switzerland’s financial support for reform processes in Serbia
-
Belgrade, 30 March 2026Cooperation with Russia, Belarus in areas of mutual interest
-
Belgrade, 27 March 2026World Bank support for implementation of priority energy projects
-
Belgrade, 27 March 2026Continued cooperation with Germany on utility infrastructure projects
-
Belgrade, 26 March 2026Activities of state institutions for opening clusters 2 and 5 examined
-
Belgrade, 26 March 2026Exchange of experiences with Slovakia in field of ICT