European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Serbia/President of the European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee David McAllister, together with Justice Minister Nela Kuburovic and Head of Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia Sem Fabrizi, during the second day of his stay, visited the site of the Palace of Justice where reconstruction works, supported by the EU, have been ongoing. He said that well-functioning of the justice system requires appropriate infrastructure and working conditions.
“Here we can see a concrete visibility of EU institutions in their support for Serbia and its path towards the full membership and every time I came to Serbia, I want to see such projects, as they are very important for citizens,” McAllister said.
FoNet
According to McAllister, who was accompanied with Head of Delegation of the EU to Serbia Sem Fabrizi, excellent conditions for judges and all employees within the judiciary were also important for the rule of law and independent justice.
Kuburovic stressed that the reconstruction of the Palace of Justice was the biggest infrastructure project by the Justice Ministry in the past several years, adding that it has been realised with the European Investment Bank’s loan and a grant received thanks to the European Commission.
She said the reconstruction was a part of fulfilling obligations set by the Action plan for the Chapter 23, as the rule of law was also to be upgraded with the improvement of working conditions, modernisation of premises and introducing up-to-date technologies, all that would help decreasing the timeline of court procedures.
Kuburovic said that the works were planned to be finished in 18 months and stressed that the Palace of Justice was a home to courts that had handled 60 percent of criminal cases.
FoNet
Fabrizi stressed that Serbia’s commitment to its European path was seen in the process of the Palace of Justice’s reconstruction, adding that it was an important part of that message.
European Parliament (EP) Rapporteur for Serbia David McAllister, who is also a vice president of the European People’s Party (EPP), and prominent official of German Christian-Democratic Union (CDU), also visited Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), associate member of the EPP, for talks with SNS party officials Nеbojša Stеfanovic, Milos Vucеvic, Nеmanja Joksimovic and Anja Rovic. During the meeting, a party’s participation in the activities of the European People’s Party (EPP), of which the SNS is an associate member, were discussed, a statement from the SNS said.
