EU accession
October 12, 2011
In a move greatly anticipated by Serbia, the European Commission has recommended that the small Balkan state be granted candidate status for membership in the 27-member European Union.
Serbia's progression towards a much-hoped-for membership took a turn for the better when Belgrade handed over fugitives Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic to a UN wars crimes court earlier this year after the pair had been on the run for 16 years.
"The arrest of the two remaining ICTY indictees removed a major stumbling block from Serbia's European path and marked an important step toward reconciliation in the region," the Commission said in its report on Wednesday.
The EU executive said, however, it would not set a date for formal accession talks until Serbia had normalized ties with neighboring Kosovo, which broke away from Serbia nearly three years ago in a move Belgrade has yet to recognize.
The recommendation for EU candidate status came "on the understanding that Serbia re-engages in the dialogue with Kosovo," said EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele.
Kosovo still a concern
In Belgrade, President Boris Tadic said he was "proud" of the success and said Serbia hoped to resolve problems with Kosovo over customs controls and border crossings.
European leaders have also urged Kosovo to do more to reassure the Serb community living within its borders.
"While the integration of Kosovo Serbs has improved in the south, tensions in northern Kosovo have increased," the EU Commission said in its report. "It is of utmost importance that Kosovo launches a comprehensive agenda for the north."
The Commission also recommended that the EU begin negotiating entry conditions with Serbia's western neighbor, Montenegro. Croatia, meanwhile, has already been confirmed as the next country to join the EU. Its accession date is set for July 1, 2013.
Fuele said there had been no progress in the last year with Turkey, the largest of the EU hopefuls. The EU is concerned about soaring tensions between Turkey and Cyprus over gas drilling rights in the Mediterranean Sea and urged Ankara to refrain from escalating the row.
Author: Darren Mara (AFP, AP)
Editor: Martin Kuebler