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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Efficient law-drafting necessary for obtaining EU candidate status

Belgrade, 15 April 2011

Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said today that competent authorities have more than a month to send laws to the parliament so as to satisfy the key recommendations of the European Commission, which is a prerequisite for becoming a candidate for EU membership.

Djelic said in an interview with the Tanjug news agency that the first quarter recorded a good lap time when it comes to meeting the recommendations of the European Commission.

He said that the most complex laws are yet to be adopted – those governing the political and electoral system and the issue of restitution.

Now is the time to work, to turn to interior reforms, he said noting that it is up to us now to work for the opinion of the European Commission, which will be published on 12 October, to be positive.

Djelic expressed the hope that accession negotiations will start in the first half of next year.

After the publication of the opinion by the European Commission, Serbia will start a big diplomatic action, which will last until mid-December, when EU member states will take up the position on the Serbian candidature.

The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the European Commission will on 15 June start preparing an opinion on the candidacy of Serbia, but added that the government does not wish important laws to be adopted on an expedited basis, the deadline for submission to the parliament is much shorter.

The Serbian government will operate efficiently, because we want to avoid sending these important laws under urgent procedure, and therefore the time for sending these laws is not two months but only a bit over a month, said Djelic.

There is a very challenging month ahead of us, we must prepare quality legal proposals that will ensure that Serbia meets key requirements to become a candidate by the summer and get the date for negotiations, he said.

An intense and well-argued discussion of the most sensitive issues that need to be regulated by law is expected, Djelic said.

In political terms, Serbia has never had a better rating in the EU, said Djelic noting that the reason for this is the fact that official Belgrade in recent years has led a peaceful and reform-oriented policies.

This is the preparation of the starting positions for Serbia and the EU, said the Deputy Prime Minister and added that Serbia's negotiating position must be in accordance with our interests while the position of the EU will be a synthesis of all the interests of member states and EU institutions.

We are preparing to begin negotiations within a reasonable time and so that Serbia, once the negotiations begin, could end them effectively and defending its own interests, said Djelic.