Sommaire: April 12, 2005: Serbia and Montenegro: Commission confirms sufficient progress to open negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (Brussels)
FR - DE
The European Commission has approved a Feasibility Report assessing the readiness of Serbia and Montenegro to negotiate a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. Serbia and Montenegro has made sufficient progress in meeting the prerequisites and developing the capacity to negotiate. This agreement will establish the first contractual relationship between Serbia and Montenegro and the European Union.
The Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn said: "This is the beginning of the European road for Serbia and Montenegro. The country has achieved a great deal over the past few years, and it is time to move on. I welcome the agreement concluded last week on the Constitutional Charter, which ensures the legitimacy of the State Union Parliament. I am glad that Serbia and Montenegro has finally made significant progress in co-operating with the Hague Tribunal. So far this year, a dozen
persons indicted for war crimes have boarded the plane to The Hague."
Olli Rehn added: "This trend must continue and be reinforced until none of the remaining indictees is still at large. Accession negotiations proper cannot even be considered until the country has achieved full co-operation with ICTY. With the 10th memorial of Srebrenica approaching in July, Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic must be brought to justice. That is the only way to achieve reconciliation and move forward towards EU accession."
The Feasibility Study concludes that Serbia and Montenegro is sufficiently prepared to negotiate an SAA. The Commission recommends the opening of negotiations and will accordingly present a draft mandate. However, in order to proceed through the various stages of the process, both before and during the negotiations, Serbia and Montenegro must continue to improve its co-operation with the ICTY until all its obligations have been met.
The State Union and the two Republics should continue to implement the European Partnership priorities through the Action Plan. The Commission will continue to monitor closely the progress made by Serbia and Montenegro. It will report on the developments in the SAP Annual Report to be issued in the autumn of 2005.
Background
The Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) is the EU's policy for the countries of the Western Balkans region. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement is the final stage of that policy creating a contractual relation between a country of the region and the European Union. The Feasibility Study is an evaluation report that establishes whether a country is able to negotiate an SAA. The SAP is accompanied by a generous financial assistance programme, called Community Assistance for
Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) Programme.
For further information on EU relations:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/see/fry/index.htm
The Feasibility Report:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/docs/index.htm#feasibility_report
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