EC to recommend opening 2 clusters: Speed of Serbia's EU talks depends on relations with Pristina

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The report about Serbia which will be presented in Strasbourg will have the European Commission note Serbia's progress in harmonizing with EU criteria, especially in the field of taxation and energy policy. As part of the annual report, the Commission will also recommend the opening of clusters 3 (Competitiveness and Growth) and 4 (Green Agenda and Sustainable Connectivity), Tanjug has learned in Brussels.

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"The European Commission has recommended that the transitional criteria for these clusters have been met and that they should be opened," states the report about Serbia, which Tanjug has seen.

In its latest report on the situation in Serbia covering the period from June 2020 until June 2021, the European Commission has seen "limited progress" in the areas of public administration reform, the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organized crime, and the media scene.

The report calls on Serbia to provide adequate legal protection from potential political influence on the judiciary, to work on a new Anti-Corruption Strategy and to provide "convincing results" in the field of effective investigation, prosecution and sentencing of serious organized crime cases.

Unlike last year's report, the EC's latest assessment is that Serbia has made "limited progress" in the area of freedom of expression and the media, and that an environment conducive to unhindered freedom of speech must be further strengthened.

"Verbal attacks against journalists by high-ranking officials have continued, while cases of threats and violence remain a cause for concern," the text reads.

The EC report again this year gives positive assessments when it comes to economic indicators in Serbia, stating that during the crisis caused by the pandemic the Serbian economy experienced only a "slight decline" of 1% in 2020, and that the negative impact of the crisis had been mitigated by "strong economic growth before the pandemic as well as appropriate fiscal and monetary support measures, and a relatively short deadline for lockdowns in the country."

The EC stressed once again that the speed of Serbia's negotiations on EU membership will continue to depend primarily on the speed of reforms in the area of the rule of law and normalization of relations with Pristina.

In this context, Serbia is urged to make further progress in implementing all agreements reached so far with Pristina and to contribute to reaching a comprehensive, binding agreement on normalization of relations with Kosovo.

"This agreement is urgent and crucial for both Serbia and Kosovo to progress on their path to the EU," the report of the Commission states.

It adds that Serbia remained committed to bilateral relations with other countries in the region, but also that "relations with Montenegro had been marked by tensions."

The report of the Commission states that Serbia's alignment with EU decisions increased from 56 to 61 percent, but also estimates that in many moves Serbia "went against" EU's decisions.

Serbia is again commended for participating in EU security missions and operations, and especially for its "significant contribution" to managing migration flows and the effective implementation of joint border management strategies.

The report also reiterates its call on the Serbian authorities to be "more proactive and objective" when it comes to the narrative about the EU as "Serbia's biggest political and economic partner."

The European Commission's report on Serbia should be officially adopted and presented in Strasbourg today.

(Telegraf.rs)