The Report was presented by Minister without portfolio responsible for European integration Jadranka Joksimovic. She informed the Committee members that the screening process was conducted as planned, the European Commission declared the meetings well-prepared and that the Serbian team had shown considerable capacity for the negotiations.

In the course of the screening process, the team held 65 meetings for 34 chapters, the longest screening being for Chapter 27 – Environment, said Minister Joksimovic. She also spoke of yesterday’s visit of EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn to Serbia, hoping that the first negotiations chapters would be opened by the end of the year.

The Minister informed the Committee members about the preparations for the establishment of a negotiations team which would include representatives of the National Convention.

As regards public opinion, according to studies, Minister Joksimovic said that more than 50% of the citizens support Serbia’s EU integration process.

Dr Tanja Miscevic, Head of the Negotiating Team for the Accession of the Republic of Serbia to the EU, and European Integration Office Director Ksenija Milenkovic presented the details of the negotiations process, possible obstacles and new drafting methodology for the progress report.

Following a discussion the Committee accepted the Report on the current course of EU accession negotiations, for the period January-March 2015, by majority vote.

The Committee then went on to adopt the proposal of Committee member Dusica Stojkovic to organise a public hearing with the topic “Development of the Serbian telecommunications sector in the EU accession process”, on 25 May 2015.

The Committee decided that the delegation for the bilateral visit to the Croatian Sabor, on 27 and 28 May 2015, comprise the following Committee members and substitute members: Dusica Stojkovic, Prof. Dr Ljubisa Stojimirovic, Biljana Pantic Pilja, Mirjana Andric, Dr Ivan Bauer, Branko Ruzic and Dr Vladimir Orlic.

The Committee also selected a delegation for the Interparliamentary Conference “Toward independent and modern judiciary systems in the enlargement countries” in Przno, Montenegro, 18-19 June 2015, within the European Parliament 2015 Support Programme for the parliaments of enlargement countries. The Committee decided that the delegation should comprise Committee members Dusica Stojkovic and Gordana Comic.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairman Aleksandar Senic.