Serbian Gov’t to Form Operational Team for EU Accession Process

Serbia, EU flags (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

The Serbian government said in a press release that it had decided at a Jan. 26 session to form an operational team for the country's European Union accession process to coordinate "accelerated implementation of all obligations on Serbia's European path."

One day after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic proposed such a team be formed, cabinet members adopted an amended decision to establish a Coordinating Body for the process of Serbia's accession to the EU, with members from senior state  leadership.

They will be tasked with providing strategic guidelines, political coordination and timely resolution of issues of particular importance to progress in accession talks, the press release said without specifying who the body's members will be.

The operational team, a bridge between top-level decision-making and operational negotiating, will contribute to the alignment of efforts of all relevant institutions, the statement read.

At a Jan. 25 government session, Vucic proposed forming an operational team and put forward Danijel Apostolovic, head of the Serbian mission to the EU, to chair it, and himself, the parliament speaker and the ministers of EU integration, finance and justice to sit on it.