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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

65% of Serbian people in favour of joining EU

Belgrade, 16 July 2010

Director of the Serbian government’s EU Integration Office Milica Delevic stated today that the degree of public support for Serbia joining the EU remains unchanged but emotional identification and a sense of optimism among people are decreasing.

Milica Delevic

Speaking at a press conference held to present results of the “Public Opinion on Serbia’s European Integration Process” survey, Delevic emphasised that 65% of the Serbian people responded positively when asked if they are in favour of Serbia joining the EU.

The level of public support for joining the EU is the same as it was last year, she highlighted, adding that there has been a 1% increase in the number of people who would vote against joining the EU if a referendum were to be held.

Younger people, compared to the average population, have a more positive attitude about the EU. Survey results also show that fewer Serbian people feel that they are Europeans, she underlined.

A sense of idealism and optimism among the public has also dropped, she noted.

Responding to queries about what they think when Serbia might acquire EU candidate status, 46% of the people surveyed answered that this should happen in 2011, 9% said that it will be at the end of 2010 and 18% replied that it will never happen, specified Delevic.

People generally tend to be realistic in their assessment of the situation, she elaborated, adding that those who think that Serbia will never become a part of the EU are mainly the people who thought that Serbia will never be placed on the Schengen White List.

The Head of the EU Integration Office said that there is an increasing number of citizens who believe that the reforms that are necessary for joining the EU should be implemented first of all in order to make a better Serbia with better living conditions for its citizens, and not because this is a precondition set by the EU.

The percentage of citizens with this opinion is 72% which is 9% more than last year, noting that this number is considerably bigger than the number of citizens who support Serbia’s EU accession.

The number of citizens who believe that accession of Serbia into the EU is mostly undermined by the constant setting of conditions and blackmails is falling, accounting for 43% of all respondents, which is 7% less than in May last year.

Also, the number of citizens who believe that cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and handover of ICTY indictees are the main conditions set to Serbia has dropped.

The latest survey shows that 70% of respondents believe this, which is 9% less than in May last year, Delevic remarked.

This shows that citizens understand that the government has accepted this cooperation as an obligation, Delevic observed and added that the number of citizens who see the Kosovo problem as the main condition set to Serbia has also dropped.

The EU Integration Office conducted this survey in June on a sample of 1,094 respondents. A considerable number of citizens, 36%, believe that the speed of Serbia’s EU accession is also affected by the situation within the EU, Delevic concluded.