Brnabic: Bringing Serbia Up to EU Standards Is Up to Us

Ana Brnabic and Johannes Hahn (Photo: Beta / Milos Miskov)

Prime Minister Ana Brnabic on July 26 said that “a membership in the EU is not up to Serbia, but it is up to us” how fast we would bring Serbia up to EU standards in terms of economic growth, the rule of law and public administration.

After meeting Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn in Belgrade, Brnabic said that Serbia was aware of the challenges currently faced by the EU, but remained sincerely committed to its EU path.

“It seems that we have accomplished much, regardless of the next progress report. We have done it all because we want to bring Serbia up to the EU standards. The assessments contained in each progress report are truly important to us, but recommendations are even more important,” Brnabic told a news conference in the government building.

She went on to say that Serbia was investing consistent effort in implementing the recommendations contained in annual progress reports of the European Commission not only for the sake of opening or closing negotiating chapters, but because Belgrade “is sincerely” committed to reforms.

Hahn said that the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue and the achievement of a lasting solution were instrumental in facilitating progress of the entire region.

He also said that the outgoing European Commission was devoted to the region and that much had been accomplished, but noted that the recent events had cast a shadow over the progress achieved.

Hahn added that European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen was determined to work on the EU integration of the Western Balkan countries.