Head of EU Delegation in Belgrade Michael Davenport said that Serbia made “major progress and concrete results” in the process of restitution which “is very important to ordinary citizens.”
Goal of his visit to the Agency for Restitution, with which the Delegation is in constant contact, was to obtain information about further steps and legislative enhancement in the area of restitution.
“It is important to take full account of European Parliament recommendations as the Parliament takes a keen interest in this important aspect of Serbian reforms,” Davenport said during his address to press ahead of the meeting.
Director of Agency of Restitution Strahinja Sekulic said that the process was about brining benefits to citizens. “Innate feature of the process is that it keeps moving forward and smoothly, and we want to make sure it keeps moving forward even better,” said Sekulic.
EU Delegation to Serbia supports restitution process in Serbia and Agency’s work in amending legislation which could contribute to restitution in kind, and taking into account the Resolution of European Parliament. The Resolution calls on Serbian authorities to “”make further amendments to the Law on Restitution in order to remove all procedural obstacles and legal impediments concerning restitution in kind.”
The EU encourages Serbia to explore all solutions or legislative improvements that may enhance the fairness and efficiency of the process, removing various obstacles and securing wider implementation of in-kind restitution, as called for in the resolution of the European Parliament. As Ambassador Davenport told journalists, it is welome that proposed changes include the introduction of restitution in kind with regard to agricultural property and legislation on restitution of Holocaust victims.
Watch Ambassador Davenport’s statement:
