Danijel Apostolovic (Photo: PrintScreen rts.r s)
Danijel Apostolovic, the head of Serbia’s operative team for EU accession and the country’s chief negotiator, said on May 4 that no formal decision freezing Serbia’s access to European Union funds has been issued.
Speaking for the RTS public broadcasting service, Apostolovic claimed that Serbia was quick to act on the recommendations of the Venice Commission regarding the set of controversial laws which led to the current financial freeze, adding that parliament is expected to adopt said recommendations by the end of the month.
“As soon as we received the Venice Commission’s expert opinion, the Ministry of Justice formed a working group and called on all relevant institutions to participate. We’ve finished draft laws incorporating the recommendations and public debates in the National Assembly are planned for May 6 and 7,” Apostolovic explained.
The official added that the drafts will be forwarded to the Venice Commission on May 8. Should the Commission approve them, the amended laws will be returned to the National Assembly for adoption.
According to Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Serbia has another EUR1.15 billion available in EU funds, but most of this are lines of credit, which means access to the funds is of little consequence to Serbia’s budget.
To get full access to all content of interest see our
Subscription offer
Or
Register for free
And read up to 5 articles each month.
Already have an account? Please Log in.