EUU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 216: Serbiens ansøgning om optagelse i EU

The decision of the Republic of Serbia to apply for European Union membership results from asolid commitment to the fundamental ideas, attainments and values of the European Union.European Union membership represents a strategic goal of the Republic of Serbia.The Republic of Serbia has based its decision to apply for membership on several key postulates.The first and essential one represents the genuine intention of Serbia to more fully take part in thefifty-year long efforts of the peoples of Europe to create a Europe of justice, liberty, solidarity andsafety. Like other member states of the Union, the Republic of Serbia strives to build a society withkey values being pluralism, tolerance, solidarity and the prevention of discrimination.The national and cultural identity of Serbia is part of the common cultural structure of the EUfounded on the motto "united in diversity". At the same time, Serbia nourishes common Europeanvalues embodied in solid democratic principles.Through the fulfillment of the requirements of EU membership, Serbia strives to contribute to thecreation of a functional, sustainable and efficient system of the EU. In this sense, the process ofaccession gives a strong momentum to complete political and economic reforms in Serbia.As part of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Serbia took part in the Stabilisation and AssociationProcess as of November 2000. The Declaration adopted on that occasion in Zagreb confirmed theEuropean perspective of the states included in the Process, as well as the status of potentialcandidates achieved by these countries at the summit in Santa Maria de Feira in June 2000. TheDeclaration reiterated that the progress of the countries towards the EU would depend on theirindividual progress in the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria and the implementation of theStabilisation and Association Agreement, with special emphasis on regional cooperation provisions.At the Thessaloniki summit of June 2003, it was clearly noted that the future of the Western Balkancountries is in the European Union. This European perspective was confirmed by the conclusions ofthe European Council of December 2005, December 2006 and June 2008.The progress of reforms in Serbia has been monitored with particular attention from the momentwhen the Republic of Serbia demonstrated its intention to become an EU member state, followingthe changes of 5 October 2000. The Consultative Task Force, as a framework for monitoring theprogress achieved, held five meetings in the period from July 2001 to July 2002, which werededicated to considerations of current, general and sectoral reforms and their compliance withpolitical and economic criteria and European standards.In July 2003, the FRY-EU Consultative Task Force was succeeded by the Enhanced PermanentDialogue, as a more convenient framework for political and technical dialogue between therepresentatives of Serbia/SaM and the European Commission (EC). To date, dozens of plenary andsectoral (thematic) meetings have been held, ensuring constant monitoring of reform processes inthe Republic of Serbia.

The decision to open the negotiations for conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreementwas passed in April 2005, following the publication of the Feasibility Study, and the adoption of the“twin-track” approach for negotiations with the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Thenegotiations were officially opened on 10 October 2005 and suspended by the decision of theEuropean Commission already in May 2006, due to the estimation that cooperation with theInternational Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia was insufficient. Following the formation ofthe new Government of the Republic of Serbia, and the arrest and extradition of two indictees, thenegotiations were resumed and successfully finalized, resulting in the initialing of the Stabilisationand Association Agreement on 7 November 2007. The Agreement was signed on 29 April 2008 atthe meeting of the EU’s General Affairs and External Relations Council in Luxembourg. On 9September 2008, the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia ratified the Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement and the Interim Trade Agreement.Although beginning the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement and ratification of theStabilisation and Association Agreement was dependent upon the conclusion of the EU Council ofMinisters stating full cooperation of the Republic of Serbia with the ICTY, Serbia chose toimplement the Agreement on 30 January 2009. Respecting the positive assessment of the chiefprosecutor of the ICTY as regards the achieved level of cooperation with the Republic of Serbia, on7 December 2009 the EU Council of Ministers adopted a decision on unfreezing the InterimAgreement with the Republic of Serbia. By the same decision, the Council accepted the period ofSerbia’s Interim Agreement implementation as the commencement of its implementation trackrecord.The Republic of Serbia made equally important progress towards the free movement of its citizensin the Schengen Agreement countries. Key steps along this road represented the visa facilitation andreadmission agreements concluded in May 2007. They were followed by the visa liberalisationdialogue, which involved significant efforts directed at the fulfillment of the Roadmaprequirements. The Decision adopted by the EU Council of Minsiters on 30 November 2009,enabling visa-free travel for Serbian citizens, represented evident proof that progress is attainablewhen the requirements are clearly defined and the political will and administrative capacities are inplace. For the Republic of Serbia, this decision means much more than the symbolical “fall of theSchengen wall” - it represents a strong signal of political acceptance, certainty of Europeanperspective, and proof that the fulfillment of requirements leads to progress in integration process.

Along with these formal steps towards membership, the internal process of reforms was ongoing inSerbia and the establishment of the consensus necessary for Serbia’s EU accession. With a view toachieve national consensus regarding the EU accession, the Government of Serbia established theCouncil for European Integrations in 2002, as an advisory body representing all segments ofSerbian society. Beside the ministers of the Government, Council members include trade unionrepresentatives, representatives of employers’ union, the Serbian Chamber of Commerce, theSerbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, national minorities, religious communities, non-government sector and universities. At its 7th session in June 2009, the Council welcomed previousefforts by the Serbian Government during the process of pre-accession, and invited the Governmentto undertake all necessary measures in order to step up the European integration process. In October2004, the National Assembly adopted the Resolution on the Republic of Serbia joining theEuropean Union, which emphasized Serbia’s strategic orientation to achieve European Unionmembership. In June 2005, the Government of Serbia adopted the National Strategy of Serbia forthe Accession of Serbia and Montenegro to the European Union, as an umbrella document for thecountry’s European integration process. This Strategy stipulates the activities that the Republic ofSerbia needs to carry out in all segments of the society, politics and law, in order to be prepared by2012 to undertake the obligations arising from the European Union membership. From 2004 on, theRepublic of Serbia has been preparing annual action plans for implementation of the EuropeanPartnership agreement. Progressing towards the agreement-based commitment, in 2004 theRepublic of Serbia began the process of harmonizing national legislation with EU law, and startedadopting annual Action plans for harmonization.Although a majority of Serbian citizens supported the country’s EU accession, the support to thisstrategic goal, as well as to the implicated economic and political reforms, involved numerouschallenges. The prime minister of the first democratic Government, Dr. Zoran Djindjic, who wasactively devoted to the transformation of the Republic of Serbia into modern democratic countrywith a functioning market economy, capable of facing the serious burden of wars and destruction,was assassinated on 12 March 2003. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was transformed in 2003into the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. Following a referendum in Montenegro, the StateUnion ceased to exist and the Republic of Serbia became an independent state in 2006. Theterritorial integrity of the Republic of Serbia was threatened in February 2008, by the attemptedsecession of Kosovo and Metohija. Regardless of the severity of this challenge, the Republic ofSerbia did not give up its legitimate campaign to preserve its territorial integrity, exclusively bymeans of legal and diplomatic instruments.The best proof of the country’s European orientation are certainly its elections results: seventeenhave been held on different levels after the democratic changes. All elections to date were organizedand held in accordance with generally accepted standards, and the political parties promotingSerbia’s European future won a majority votes in all of them. The most convincing victoryhappened in the most challenging year – 2008 – which first saw the presidential and subsequently,in May, parliamentary, provincial and republican elections. Starting with the outstanding victory ofPresident Boris Tadic at the elections in January 2008, the parties and candidates promoting Serbia'sEuropean integrations have won significant majorities at all levels of government.

Not accidentally, the period after these elections was marked by the greatest progress in thefulfillment of membership requirements since the beginning of Serbia’s European integrationprocess, which was acknowledged in the Progress Report for the Republic of Serbia for 2009,published by the European Commission in October. The report provided positive remarks of theefforts invested by the Government of Serbia in several areas, notably in the implementation of theInterim Agreement and trade liberalization, which represent key parameters for the estimation ofSerbia’s readiness to enter the next stage of the accession process i.e. for obtaining the status ofcandidate country for EU membership.In 2009, when most countries opted for protectionist measures, the Government of Serbia decidedto prove its firm orientation towards European Union membership by implementing the InterimAgreement starting from 30 January 2009. By Agreement implementation, the import from the EUwas liberalised by the immediate abolishment of tariffs for 63% of tariff lines, which represent 50%of the value of industrial imports. In the area of agriculture, tariffs for 40% of tariff lines wereimmediately abolished, representing 40% of value of the EU imports. Noting the commitment to theEuropean integration process, in its Enlargement Strategy 2009-2010 the Commission hasreaffirmed that Serbia has started to build a track record in implementing the provisions of theInterim Agreement with the EU. Furthermore, the European Commission has, in its Progress Reportfor 2009, reiterated that Serbia has sufficient administrative capacity necessary for makingsubstantial progress in the European integration process.By signing the SAA, Serbia has commited itself to gradually harmonise its legislation with the EUacquis,as well as to duly implement it. In compliance with this provision, Serbia adopted, inOctober 2008, the National Programme for Integration of the Republic of Serbia with the EuropeanUnion (NPI), which outlines a plan of Serbian Government activities in order to prepare Serbia forEU membership by end-2012, in line with the Copenhagen criteria. In the period October 2008 –September 2009, the NPI fulfillment was 81%, as 186 regulations were adopted out of 229 planned,whereas 87 laws were adopted out of 117 planned. The Government of Serbia established a systemfor preparation of the national version of theacquis communautaire.Translation of the primarylegislation of the European Union is in its final stage, as well as the translation of the initial set of10,000 pages of secondary legislation.By constant enhancement of the state’s capacity to undertake the obligations arising from the EUmembership, Serbia is oriented to implement the requirements stemming from the Stabilisation andAssociation Agreement, as well as to making further progress in the adoption, implementation andenforcement of the EUacquis.By signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, theRepublic of Serbia entered a new stage of its relations with the European Union. For the first time,the overall relations with the European Union are based on this agreement, and Serbia will becomean associate country by entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.Along with the process of building a democratic society, implementing political, legal andinstitutional reforms, Serbia has realized a number of economic reforms in the previous period, thathave significantly contributed to the improvement of citizens’ living standard.

In the first eight years of transition, from 2001 to 2008, Serbia has implemented economic reformsthat have resulted in the increase of gross domestic product, gradual reduction of high inflation rate,employment growth and in increase of foreign direct investments. In this period, the average annualgrowth of gross domestic product reached 5.4%, and GDP per capita was increased from EUR1.709 in 2001 to EUR 4.661 in 2008. In 2007 and 2008, for the first time in decades, there werepositive signals in the labour market. The unemployment rate of around 22% was reduced to 18.8%in 2007 and to 14.4% in 2008. Inflation rate in the entire period was within the targeted inflationlimits, and in 2008 it was 6.8%, which is a significant progress relative to 2001 when the inflationrate was 40.7%. Foreign investments have accumulated to EUR 13.3 billion in this period.The global economic crisis has negatively affected economic activities in 2009. However, Serbiamanaged to prevent more significant distortions of the financial and real sector by measures ofeconomic and monetary policy. The Government’s measures succeeded in maintainingmacroeconomic stability and have mitigated recessionary tendencies, hence the estimations relatingto the drop in gross domestic product in 2009 have been revised in a positive sense. This drop wasnot expected to exceed 3%, which is much better in comparison with other national economies.During the crisis period, Serbia did not encounter serious problems in the banking sector owing tothe prompt reaction of the Government and the fact that this sector was successfully reconstructedin the previous period. Based on other macro indicators estimated for 2009 (budget deficit 4.5%GDP, public debt 31.8% GDP), the Serbian economy, in comparison with others, appears to haveresponded successfully to the challenges of the global economic crisis.The European Union is Serbia’s major foreign trade and investment partner. Only in 2008, 87% ofSerbian exports were marketed in present EU member states (54%), or those intending to becomemembers in the near future (CEFTA – 33%). Out of EUR 13.3 billion of investments that enteredthe country since 2000, more than one half originates from the European Economic Area, a majorpart of which belongs in the EU. The approaching of the Serbian economy to the EU will certainlycontribute to the consolidation of macroeconomic stability and economic development.Serbia was and will remain fully committed to promoting regional cooperation in the WesternBalkans, thus implementing one of key foreign policy priorities. Serbia has proved its commitmentto regional cooperation by active participation in numerous regional initiatives and organizations(e.g. Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, South-East European Cooperation Process, RegionalCooperation Council etc.). The conclusion of the CEFTA 2006 agreement, Treaty establishing theEnergy Community and the Multilateral Agreement on the establishment of a European CommonAviation Area has contributed to the increase in cooperation between the signatories, as well as tothe promotion of their individual interests. Having in mind its central geographic position, Serbia’scontribution will be significant for the future success of regional integration processes stimulated bythe EU in the fields of transport and creation of EU strategy for the Danube, which will even moreclosely connect trans-European transport and energy infrastructure networks.Challenges have not been totally overcome. Nevertheless, Serbia’s responsible treatment of its pastproblems has made it a reliable and predictable partner. The Republic of Serbia will not abandonthe realisation of key national goals, and its efforts will remain democratic and institutional. Basedon this assumption, the accession of Serbia to the EU would contribute to regional stability andstrengthening of the area of peace and security in Europe.

REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

MEMORANDUM