Speaking about the Report on Serbia published today within 2015 Enlargement Package, Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said that Serbia made significant progress on its EU path over the past 12 months.
Ambassador Davenport said that the Report pointed to the need of holding intergovernmental conference in December in order to open first negotiating chapters.
In Ambassador’s words and according to this Report, Serbia has made considerable progress in the implementation of structural reforms. He said that important steps forward were made regarding economic reform and fiscal consolidation as well as public administration reform with the pertaining Action Plan and legislative framework which should now be implemented.
“The Report calls Serbia to maintain the current reform pace, including restructuring state-owned enterprises,” he said.
Ambassador Davenport also said that in the previous period Serbia finalised the work on preparing Action Plans, which were necessary in order for it to receive green light for the opening of first negotiating chapters.
According to him, the Report highlights Serbia’s efforts in the area of regional cooperation, Berlin process in particular, and mutual visits of Serbian and Albanian Prime Ministers as well as Serbian PM’s visit to Srebrenica.
Public administration is necessary as well. “There is a certain progress in the creation of legislative framework necessary for the implementation of public administration reform,” Davenport said.
“As in its previous versions, the Report once again focuses on the vulnerable and groups discriminated against, such as LGBT and Roma,” Ambassador said and noted that holding the Pride Parade, for the second year in a row, was an important step forward.
Head of the EU Delegation also said that the Report called for more efforts toward creation of conditions for freedom of expression. He welcomed recent launch of talks between the Government and independent institutions, but added that in the future, Serbia should work on the creation of better conditions for freedom of speech and media freedom.
Asked to comment on why Serbia failed to make progress in the area of media freedom and to give a recommendation to Serbian authorities, Davenport said: “I could not agree that the Report notes no progress over the past 12 months” and reminded that media laws were adopted, hence their implementation began.
“There were certain delays in the implementation, but overall, it is important to proceed with the implementation of media strategy,” he said.
Report Recommendations are about conditions for freedom of expression, the role of regulatory bodies, media financing and regulation of advertising, Davenport explained.
EU Ambassador Davenport also pointed to the fact that the Report highlighted that Serbia should align its foreign and security policy with the EU.
Asked to explain this, he reminded that each candidate country should align its foreign and security policy with the the EU before it becomes a Member.
“It should be done progressively until the moment of actual accession. Serbia should align its stances, positions and declarations with the EU,” Davenport said.
“The Report highlights Serbia’s efforts to cope with refugee crisis,” Davenport said, noting that so far, as many as 350,000 refugees have crossed Serbia and that the EU provided considerable support to Serbia in that regard.
During the day, Ambassador Davenport presented the Report to Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic as well.
Photo: FoNet
