se times
25/11/2010
Stefan Fuele delivered a set of around 2,500 questions while in Belgrade on Wednesday. Serbian officials hope to have them answered by January.
By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade – 25/11/10
Stefan Fuele delivered a set of around 2,500 questions while in Belgrade on Wednesday. Serbian officials hope to have them answered by January.
By Igor Jovanovic for Southeast European Times in Belgrade – 25/11/10
In another milestone for its EU bid, Serbia on Wednesday (November 24th) received the official questionnaire assessing the country's readiness to become a candidate for EU membership.
Stefan Fuele, the EU's enlargement commissioner, presented it during a visit to Belgrade on Wednesday (November 24th). It contains about 2,500 basic questions covering all areas of political and economic life.
Serbian authorities were confident that they could submit the answers to Brussels by the end of January.
According to Fuele, the questionnaire for Serbia was modeled on those already given to Montenegro and Albania. He pointed out, however, that there were certain specific questions Belgrade would have to answer.
The questionnaire does not include direct questions about the topic that may be the most controversial in relations between Belgrade and Brussels – namely, the status of Kosovo.
Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that the issue was raised during the meeting with Fuele, and that it was confirmed the questionnaire treated Kosovo in a status neutral manner, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
A similar statement was made by the commissioner as well. "Kosovo is not included in the questionnaire. In spite of that, there are a number of issues concerning co-operation between Belgrade and Pristina. But they too treat Kosovo in a status neutral way, as did the Stabilisation and Association Agreement," Fuele said.
He said delivery of the questionnaire opens a new stage in EU-Serbia relations. "I am confident the Serbian government will take this chance and carry out the necessary reforms," Fuele said.
The EU's main expectations are for Serbia to wrap up co-operation with the Hague tribunal, successfully reform the judicial sector, consistently fight corruption, and implement laws in a manner that will convince Brussels of its readiness for EU membership.
A source from the Serbian European Integration Office told SETimes that setting January as the completion date for the questionnaire is extremely ambitious. If successful, the source said, Serbia would be among the countries that had spent the least time filling out the questionnaire.
The same source said that the job had been made somewhat easier for Belgrade, because it can rely on the previous experiences of other countries in the region.
Stefan Fuele, the EU's enlargement commissioner, presented it during a visit to Belgrade on Wednesday (November 24th). It contains about 2,500 basic questions covering all areas of political and economic life.
Serbian authorities were confident that they could submit the answers to Brussels by the end of January.
According to Fuele, the questionnaire for Serbia was modeled on those already given to Montenegro and Albania. He pointed out, however, that there were certain specific questions Belgrade would have to answer.
The questionnaire does not include direct questions about the topic that may be the most controversial in relations between Belgrade and Brussels – namely, the status of Kosovo.
Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic said that the issue was raised during the meeting with Fuele, and that it was confirmed the questionnaire treated Kosovo in a status neutral manner, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1244.
A similar statement was made by the commissioner as well. "Kosovo is not included in the questionnaire. In spite of that, there are a number of issues concerning co-operation between Belgrade and Pristina. But they too treat Kosovo in a status neutral way, as did the Stabilisation and Association Agreement," Fuele said.
He said delivery of the questionnaire opens a new stage in EU-Serbia relations. "I am confident the Serbian government will take this chance and carry out the necessary reforms," Fuele said.
The EU's main expectations are for Serbia to wrap up co-operation with the Hague tribunal, successfully reform the judicial sector, consistently fight corruption, and implement laws in a manner that will convince Brussels of its readiness for EU membership.
A source from the Serbian European Integration Office told SETimes that setting January as the completion date for the questionnaire is extremely ambitious. If successful, the source said, Serbia would be among the countries that had spent the least time filling out the questionnaire.
The same source said that the job had been made somewhat easier for Belgrade, because it can rely on the previous experiences of other countries in the region.
Serbia will treat Kosovo as an integral part of Serbia when answering questions related to the province, but will stress that responsibility for the implementation of reforms there does not lie with Belgrade, the source added.
"We have made very serious preparations and will directly start working on preparing answers to the questionnaire we have been given," Cvetkovic said. "The work practically starts today."
A former head of the European Integration Office, Tanja Miscevic, said the European integration process facilitates the introduction and comprehension of European values as domestic values, and amounts to more than simply meeting a set of EU demands.
"By giving answers, one is actually giving oneself a starting point. One in fact sets the grounds for an assessment of one's level of development with regards to the meeting of standards and starts making own plans for negotiations on future membership," Miscevic told reporters in Belgrade.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
"We have made very serious preparations and will directly start working on preparing answers to the questionnaire we have been given," Cvetkovic said. "The work practically starts today."
A former head of the European Integration Office, Tanja Miscevic, said the European integration process facilitates the introduction and comprehension of European values as domestic values, and amounts to more than simply meeting a set of EU demands.
"By giving answers, one is actually giving oneself a starting point. One in fact sets the grounds for an assessment of one's level of development with regards to the meeting of standards and starts making own plans for negotiations on future membership," Miscevic told reporters in Belgrade.
This content was commissioned for SETimes.com.
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