The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert on Wednesday said in Belgrade that Brussels had not changed the existing conditions set for Serbia on its pathway to the European Union (EU) nor had it set any new conditions and Belgrade was to make the last step ahead of opening negotiations with the EU.
The truth is that the EU is changing and that we have to adapt, Degert said at a conference on how to negotiate with the EU, organised on the occasion of Europe Day celebrated 9 May.
Taking part in the conference, Degert said that speculation of changes to existing conditions by Brussels which would impede aspirant candidate countries was a mere myth. He explained that the EU expected Serbia to align its legislation to that of the Union and to structure its administrative capacities to implement and apply that legislation and after that to meet all the criteria that candidate countries have to fulfill ahead of EU membership.
He advised the Serbian government not to delay the most difficult structural reforms for the last phase in negotiations.
Degert underscored that EU negotiations were not a matter of lobbying but referred to difficult technical activities to adjust to European legislation and that all stakeholders should be involved in the process including the civil sector.
He added that he hoped the process of ratifying the Agreement on Stabilisation and Accession (SAP) between Serbia and the EU should be completed by July 1 as it still needed to be endorsed by Latvia as the only EU country that has not done so.
Serbia's Prime Minister Ivica Dacic, who opened the conference, said that he was certain Brussels would give Serbia a date to start negotiations and that he expected the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy to visit Belgrade early July. "We want Serbia to be good news in the world and expect Brussels to give us some good news", Dacic said addressing the conference.
