The five year Mandate of this European Commission – also known as Barroso II. – is going to be over in a few weeks, and it is impressive how much Serbia has come along in its EU integration path in that time. Since I took over the enlargement portfolio in February 2010, we have seen Serbia applying for membership, being granted Candidate Status, and becoming a negotiating country, wrote Štefan Füle in an article published in Blic daily newspaper.

This year started on a very positive note, with the formal opening of EU accession negotiations in January. This milestone, unfortunately, was soon overshadowed by the severe floods and the unprecedented destruction that they caused.

EU has shown in both situations, albeit very different in nature, that Serbia has become our close partner. The opening of accession talks was a turning point in our relations, with new responsibilities and opportunities for Serbia. The EU response after the floods showed that we are determined to stand by Serbia not only in the good times, but also in the difficult ones. After responding to immediate humanitarian needs, schools, roads and private houses in the affected areas are being rebuilt with EU funds and thousands of farmers are receiving direct support to help them through the winter.

The Serbian government has set an ambitious timetable for negotiations. It has also adopted the right attitude towards the reforms, acknowledging that it provides them with the opportunity to modernise the country. And indeed the point is not what Brussels wants from you, but rather what you want for yourselves. The accession negotiations are a good opportunity that Serbia should seize to meet EU standards for the benefit of its citizens.

This is and will continue to be a demanding process. The pace of negotiations will depend on Serbia’s ability to deliver on key structural reforms in the areas of rule of law, public administration and economic governance. In particular the serious economic challenges that Serbia faces, aggravated by the recent floods, require both courage and determination from political leadership and citizens alike. The ambitious economic goals that the Serbian government has set itself, its good start to implementing structural reforms and the continuation of dialogue with Kosovo are all encouraging.

During the negotiation process, Serbia will be required to make progress in a number of areas: from human rights, freedom of expression and the rule of law, to environmental protection, health standards and consumer protection.

In its efforts, Serbia can count on EU solidarity. The European Commission will continue to provide expertise, guidance and financial support. In financial terms, the Commission has allocated over €1.5 billion in grants for the years 2014-2020 to Serbia through its IPA funds national envelope. Additional funds will come from IPA multi-country and cross-border projects and from bilateral programmes of individual EU Member States.

As well as helping Serbia to modernise, the EU accession related reforms will contribute to building a bigger, more integrated and more prosperous EU internal market. And even more importantly, Serbia’s commitment to regional cooperation is key for consolidating peace and stability across a continent that was scarred by division and strife. The major contribution is to values and ideals of peace, democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

Štefan Füle

Commissioner for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy

This article is published in Blic daily to coincide with the publication by the European Commission of its progress report on Serbia, on 8 October 2014.