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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

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Candidate status after unfreezing of transitional trade agreement

Belgrade, 29 November 2009

Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic said that Belgrade will consider a date for submitting an application for EU candidate status if European institutions reach a consensus on the unfreezing of the transitional trade agreement with Serbia in December.

File photo of Bozidar Djelic

Author: Tanjug

In an interview with Tanjug news agency, Djelic said that Serbia is not confronted with any special conditions for applying for candidate status because, according to decisions made by the EU Council of Ministers regarding the processing of Albania’s candidate status, it was established that it is expected that any country that wishes to apply for candidate status should first implement the transitional trade agreement.

He said that this is an indication to Serbia that the agreement should be implemented before the application is submitted.

He stressed that a resolution of the European Parliament which recommends the unfreezing of the transitional trade agreement is good news for Serbia, but the decision of the EU ministers who are to meet in Brussels on December 8 should not be prejudiced in any manner, nor the decisions to be made at the EU summit to be held on December 10.

We must wait for the decision from the EU ministers and if it is positive for Serbia it would mean that the conditions for making the next step are there and, at that point Serbia will, in cooperation with European partners, consider a date for applying for candidate status, said Djelic.

He said that Serbia is convinced that it is cooperating with the Hague tribunal in a satisfactory manner and that it is time for the next step in the EU integration process and that conditions are there for a European consensus regarding the unfreezing of the transitional trade agreement.

Besides the report by Hague Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz, it is also a positive fact that Serbia started the unilateral implementation of the transitional trade agreement with the EU despite the economic crisis, said Djelic.

He said that Serbia is also preparing for the steps that will come after submitting an application.

He said that the aim is to reduce the time period between applying and acquiring candidate status from two years to much less.

Djelic said that Serbia’s inclusion on to the Schengen “white list”, expected to be announced on November 30 in Brussels, should be seen as recognition of Serbia’s capacity for carrying out reforms.

Speaking about an EU consensus regarding the Treaty of Lisbon, he said that it is very important for Serbia that the EU institutions that were redefined under the agreement have unequivocally favoured further EU enlargement.

It is also important for Serbia that the European Commission, if their stance is affirmed by the European Parliament, includes many nations who recognise the need to fully integrate Serbia, said Djelic.