EU enlargement
Serbia risks derailing its own accession process over Kosovo
The European Parliament today adopted its annual report on the accession progress of Serbia. Commenting on the report and the ongoing talks on a normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo, Green foreign affairs spokesperson Franziska Brantner said:
"Today's vote is clearly overshadowed by last night's regrettable breakdown in the talks between Serbia and Kosovo on a normalisation of relations. Serbia risks derailing its own accession progress with its intransigence in the talks. Hopefully Belgrade will show the flexibility necessary for a breakthrough in the coming days. It would be a shame to simply abandon the hard work and negotiations of the last few years.
"The situation puts the EU in a dilemma as regards the opening of accession negotiations. Opening negotiations in spite of the blockage would undermine the EU's credibility in the region but delaying the accession process could stall reforms in the country. There is a clear need for reform in the justice sector, the fight against corruption and minority protection, and EU accession talks provide the perfect framework to address this.
"However, this is overshadowed by the stalled talks with Kosovo. The only option is for the EU to postpone a decision on when to start accession talks with Serbia until there is a successful outcome to the negotiations on the normalisation of relations with Kosovo. A new setback to the resolution of the Northern Kosovo question would undermine the EU's credibility in the region and threaten stability. The Serbian government must take responsibility and ensure a successful outcome of the Kosovo negotiations."
