Photo: EU info centar
Serbian European Integration Office made a presentation of its publication “Guide through Negotiations” at the EU book stand today. Acting Director of the Office Ksenija Milenkovic explained that the Guide scrutinised negotiating process and 35 chapters leading to accession.
She said that Serbia expected the first negotiating chapters to open by the year’s end, as well as opening of Chapters 23 and 24 in early 2016. Milenkovic said that positive Annual Progress Report on Serbia in the process of EU integration would announce the second EU-Serbia intergovernmental conference during which, she pointed out, the first chapter should be opened.
Speaking about the Guide, Ksenija Milenkovic said that it was meant to “show how Serbia plans to align its legislation with the EU acquis. This is one of the crucial obligations assumed in the negotiating process. We have tried to explain the course of the process, people in charge with it and compulsory next steps Serbia will make within the process,” Milenkovic said.
She pointed out to the part concerning participation of civil sector in the negotiating process, because, in her words, the civil society had a unique role and was part and parcel of EU accession negotiations.
“Political conditions are often mentioned in public, but little does one hear about general membership criteria applicable to all countries striving to become EU Member States. Those activities are carried out daily and in parallel with the process which draws much more public attention, that is politics,” Milenkovic said.
Assistant Director of Serbian European Integration Office Ivana Djuric said that the Guide through Negotiations was a hard-copy version of online course on European integration conducted two years ago. “250 students visited our Office last year, showing interest in the negotiating process, so our idea was to create a user-friendly publication about negotiations,” Djuric said.
