[ad_1]
The EU Council of Ministers welcomes the overall results that Serbia has achieved so far in the accession negotiations, and regrets that progress in the field of rule of law has not proceeded as quickly as expected from the negotiating country.
The draft conclusions of the EU Council of Ministers on enlargement and all the countries in that process, which RTS learned about, praises the commitment of Serbia in various regional cooperation initiatives and welcomes the continuation of the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina.
The EU Council of Ministers expects Serbia to enter into a dialogue in “good faith and in a spirit of compromise, in order to reach a legally binding global agreement in accordance with international law and the EU acquis”.
“This agreement should address all unresolved issues and contribute to regional stability, which is crucial for the progress of Serbia and Kosovo towards the EU,” says the document, which will be adopted by the General Affairs Council on December 8.
The EU Council of Ministers emphasizes that it “firmly expects all previous agreements to be respected and implemented.”
The EU welcomes the fact that Serbia has so far opened 18 out of 35 chapters and adopted a new enlargement methodology, as well as the “continued progress towards the development of a functioning market economy”.
The text adds that the EU Council calls on Serbia to show political will, significantly accelerate reforms and deliver concrete results in the field of law, as well as in other basic areas.
The Council of the EU called on Serbia to focus on the most important and urgent reforms in the coming period, especially in meeting the transition criteria of Chapters 23 and 24, which include building an independent and efficient judiciary, constitutional reform, the fight against corruption and organized crime.
“We reiterate our call to Serbia to ensure a safe and favorable environment for the unhindered exercise of freedom of expression and media independence,” the draft read.
EU ministers underline the need to “ensure the proper functioning of democratic institutions” and call on parliamentary and political forces to engage in a cross-party dialogue led by the European Parliament, in order to reach a “broad inter-party consensus and on EU reforms “.
[ad_2]
