Mentioning that 2013 have been a very important year for Serbia and that great progress has been achieved, Ambassador Michael Davenport emphasised that one of the most important messages from today`s report of the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle is that there is confidence in the EU enlargement policy.
Relations between Serbia and the EU “have entered into a new orbit” assessed Ambassador Michael Davenport, head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, talking about the European Commission`s annual report on Serbia`s progress in the European integration presented today.
-We have moved the speed not in one, but in two gears higher, we started screening. Serbian experts dealing with Chapters 23 and 24 have already been to Brussels and had the opportunity to question officials in the European Commission. The next phase is in December when Serbian officials and experts will present their plans for harmonization with acquis communautaire – Davenport said.
Davenport assessed that one of the most important messages from today`s annual report of the EU Commissioner for Enlargement Štefan Füle is that there is confidence in the EU enlargement policy, remarking that 2013 have been an important year for Serbia.
Significant progress
“Serbia has achieved a significant progress on the road of accession, especially through Brussels agreement, which was a turning point in the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina and which could be called historical”, Davenport said at the press conference in Media Centre where Commissioner Füle`s speech was broadcasted live.
Now, he mentioned, the realisation of the plan for its implementation is monitored and that also includes preparations for the local elections in Kosovo on 3 November.
“In the forthcoming period more emphasis will be put on the matter of the economy functioning and economy management of states in the access procession”, Ambassador assessed.
Accelerate reforms
According to Davenport, report indicates that there are reforms in the area of judiciary, fight against corruption and national administration reforms, but, as he said, there are areas where reforms should be accelerated.
“For example, judiciary. There is strategy, there is action plan, but we have to see what is being done to implement them”, Davenport said.
The EU Council`s decision from June to open accession negotiations with Serbia was very important, Davenport said, adding that the priority for the EU now is to prepare for the first Intergovernmental Conference with Serbia, announced for January.
