Dear citizens of Serbia,
The European Union and your country are close allies in a number of key areas. The EU is Serbia’s number one economic partner. Just last year, EU firms invested nearly EUR 1.5 billion in Serbia, helping to create thousands of new jobs. The EU has also been investing in Serbia’s youth and science, with an impressive 8000 participants in Erasmus+ exchanges in the last three years.
But the ambition for EU-Serbian relations shared on both sides goes much further. Serbia is currently a frontrunner in the negotiations for EU accession, and in the near future, I would like to see Serbia joining the EU, and becoming an important member of our European Union.
Our new strategy for the Western Balkans, adopted in February provides Serbia with the perspective and instruments it needs to make progress on its EU path. But it is up to Serbia to make use of these opportunities and set the pace of negotiations.
The report on Serbia that we published today pinpoints Serbia’s progress, shortcomings and, importantly, the EU-related reform priorities for the coming year. For Serbia’s EU perspective to happen, these reforms must become a national priority and should be on top of the agenda of the government work programme. The reforms will not only help to keep up the pace of accession negotiations, they will also make Serbia a more modern, more democratic and more prosperous country to live in for its citizens.
While some progress has been made, important issues still need to be addressed. Serbia needs to create an enabling environment for freedom of expression, strengthen the independence and efficiency of the judicial system and make sustainable progress in the fight against corruption and organised crime.
I commend Serbia for its economic reforms. These produce good results, especially in terms of macroeconomic stabilisation. Now, in order for Serbia’s economy to grow stronger, it needs more private and public investment, as well as a better business environment, in particular for small and medium-sized enterprises. There should also be major structural reforms in public administration, the tax authority and state owned companies.
Finally, it is vital that Serbia and Kosovo remain committed to the full normalisation of their relations. All bilateral disputes must be resolved before joining the EU– this applies to all countries.of the region. Therefore, a comprehensive, legally-binding normalisation agreement should be reached as soon as possible.
I am convinced that Serbia is in a very strong position to push forward and achieve its EU objective. And, on the EU side, let me reassure you that we remain committed to supporting the Serbian people and Serbian authorities on the path towards EU membership.
