Government Operational Team, European Commission Discuss Accession Obligations

Serbian government building (Beta/Nenad Petrovic)

Members of the Serbian government's Operational Team for Accession to the European Union met with representatives of the European Commission in Belgrade on Feb. 20 to discuss tentative deadlines for fulfilling the obligations involved in preparations for opening the remaining clusters in accession negotiations, and those related to meeting the interim benchmarks included in the chapters concerned with rule of law.

During the meeting, which was chaired by the head of the Operational Team and head of Serbia’s Mission to the European Union, Danijel Apostolovic, Serbian officials presented the key steps taken in their respective areas, and discussed upcoming activities in greater detail, the government said in a press release.

Apostolovic was quoted as saying in the release that the meeting was an excellent opportunity for an open exchange of views with EU representatives on the current status of accession negotiations, as well as steps aimed at accelerating the process and the challenges that Serbia faces. Members of the Operational Team said they would maintain regular communication with the European Commission, and closely monitor the implementation of the plans, underlining that “that the planning process must be both ambitious and realistic.”

On behalf of the European Union, the meeting was attended by Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Gert Jan Koopman, Head of the European Union Delegation to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath and their advisers. Alongside Apostolovic, Serbia was represented by Speaker Ana Brnabic, the ministers of finance, interior affairs, justice and agriculture, forestry and water management Sinisa Mali, Ivica Dacic, Nenad Vujic and Dragan Glamocic, respectively, Government Secretary-General Petar Janjic, aide to the prime minister Nemanja Dikovic, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija Petar Petkovic and Assistant Minister for European Integration Miroslav Gacevic.