The rule of law and implementation of chapters 23 and 24 are considered crucial for the process of EU integration, setting the pace for a country’s accession to the EU, said Head of Political Section of the EU Delegation to Serbia Noora Hayrinen.
At a regional conference dedicated to promotion and implementation of the rule of law in the Western Balkans, organised by the European Policy Centre, Hayrinen said that countries in the region should recognise that difficult negotiating chapters, such as 23 and 24, should be opened first.
Those chapters imply crucial reforms of both the country and society; they are time-consuming and require strong political will and a good track record, Hayrinen said.
As she pointed out, if the rule of law became stagnant, it would prevent the opening and closure of a number of other chapters.
I hope that by the end of 2018 we will have adopted the law on anti-discrimination in line with EU acquis, said Deputy Commissioner for Protection of Equality Tatjana Jokanovic, adding that the point is to incorporate fight against discrimination into education.
We must find a way to incorporate countering discrimination into the education system. Curricula should include the culture of peace and tolerance and intolerance of discrimination, Jokanovic said.
