Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said in two to three weeks, Serbia would open first negotiating chapters with the EU and added it would mark a new stage in and give new impetus to Serbia’s EU accession.
At Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Davenport stressed the commitment of the EU in supporting Serbia to meet the EU, Member States and citizens’ expectations.
While presenting European Commission Report on Serbia, he said that implementation of the recommendations made was a common task.
He said it was clear that the EU had been Serbia’s long-standing investment and trade partner with 75-80 per cent of investments in Serbia coming from the EU Member States.
Ambassador Davenport said that Serbian Chamber of Commerce was an important partner in the process of accession and pointed to the possibility of economy cooperation of the Commerce with its partners in Kosovo which, as he put it, was crucial for the normalisation of relations.
He added that rather often there was a misunderstanding about the nature of reforms Serbia should undertake as a candidate country and the influence of political reforms on the perspective of Serbia’s economy.
Photo: FoNet
Head of Serbian Negotiating Team Tanja Miscevic said that the Report on Serbia was no surprise and that, after two and a half years of screening, it would make a good basis for the next, second phase of the process – opening of negotiating chapters in the next couple of weeks.
Miscevic said that each and every chapter dealt with economy and called Serbian Chamber of Commerce to cooperate in enforcing the EU standards.
She said that drafting of Economic Development Programme was in its final stage and, being an important document, it would define strategic course for the development of Serbian economy.
Justice reform, she says, is crucial for the functioning of Serbian economy, noting that one of the Report’s recommendations advised that adjudicated cases were crucial in combating corruption.
Miscevic said public administration reform received some of the best marks in the Report.
President of Serbian Chamber of Commerce Marko Cadez said that the Commerce took part in 24 negotiating groups, that is it had its say in 29 of 35 negotiating chapters, and considered this engagement its primary mission.
“Businessmen are the ones who will have to live up to the regulation and if we are not ready, Serbian economy will not be the only one at loss; society as a whole will be too,” said Cadez.
