Cadez: Agreement with Brussels on Reducing Wait Times at EU Borders Urgently Needed

Marko Cadez (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

The May 16 summit of Western Balkan leaders and EU representatives in Kotor is an excellent opportunity to talk about the urgent inclusion of the region's economies in Europe's common market and overcoming serious barriers, such as extremely long wait times for trucks at the Union's borders, Serbian Chamber of Commerce President Marko Cadez has said.

"The Western Balkan business community advocates and wants to see the new growth plan realized as soon as possible, so that we can bring our economy into the common market as efficiently as possible, cut business costs and do business under the same principles and conditions as EU member states. First, a single market that will annul additional costs for goods exports and wait times at borders, and then further steps toward membership," Cadez told public broadcaster RTS on May 16.

He went on to say that the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans also included proposals and requests from the region's economies, to apply phase steps en route to the EU so that companies could operate under the same principles and conditions as the ones in the EU.

The Chamber of Commerce president noted that cooperation among the economies in the region was good, that wait times at borders had been reduced, but that wait times at the EU's borders were "terrifying," which was a huge problem that should be addressed as soon as possible.

Cadez believes that the Western Balkan countries need assistance - which the EU plan does envisage - in implementing reforms and enhancing infrastructure, for the purpose of overcoming differences with EU member countries.