Ambassador Moro conveyed France’s support of Serbia’s path to the European Union and offered the Embassy’s help on the harmonisation of the national legislation with the EU acquis. She opined that, from the beginning of the negotiations, when the EU’s negotiations framework for Serbia was adopted, to date, both sides have done ample preparation to begin negotiations chapter by chapter. Moro said that the upcoming accession talks mean a lot of strenuous and demanding work for all the Serbian institutions. Ambassador Moro asked about the work of the European Integration Committee, opining that the two parliaments’ relations are following an upward trend, greatly aided by the cooperation between their respective parliamentary friendship groups.
Committee Chairman Senic thanked the Ambassador for the visit and support, informing her that, after a year of his mandate as Chairman of this Committee, he is satisfied by the progress achieved in all the goals set at the beginning of the legislature. Senic said that the Committee set the following as its priorities: full harmonisation with the EU acquis, keeping the Serbian public informed on the course of the European integration process and benefits stemming from it, as well as continuous and full cooperation with civil society organisations in the course of the negotiations on Serbia’s European Union accession.
Senic informed the Ambassador that, in its current mandate, the European Integration Committee had adopted the Decision on the procedure for discussing the negotiating position proposal position at a sitting of the European Integration Committee and the committee in charge of issues from the relevant negotiating position. Among other things, the Decision envisages cooperation with civil society, expert public and other stakeholders via the National Convention on the European Union coordinated by the European Movement in Serbia. He also believes this to be the Committee’s highest achievement because it ensures the inclusion of relevant social factors in all the stages of Serbia’s EU accession talks.
Senic said that the mechanism established by the Decision has already been applied in the consideration of the negotiating position for Chapter 32 and said he hoped the Chapter, relating to financial control, would soon be opened since the negotiating position had already been adopted.
The officials also discussed the opening of negotiation chapters, noting that, besides harmonising the national legislation with the EU acquis and building administrative capacities, additional efforts should be invested into the maintenance and improvement of the rule of law, judiciary system, combating organised crime, terrorism and illegal trade. They also agreed on the exceptional importance of chapters 23 – judiciary and fundamental rights and 24 - justice, freedom and security, and the European Council’s decision to have them be the first chapters to be opened.
The officials spoke of the specificity of the Serbia-EU negotiations framework which contains Chapter 35 – other issues, among which are the Brussels Agreement and normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. The Committee Chairman said that Serbia is expected to fully implement the obligations it accepted under the Brussels Agreement, stressing that he believed it important to ascertain clear guidelines for the opening of Chapter 35 – other issues, and the clear final activities and results expected after the Chapter is closed. Ambassador Moro said that France follows all issues relating to the application of the Brussels Agreement and opined that it is important for both sides that the Agreement is fully followed and the specific steps and activities it envisions are implemented as soon as possible. Moro said that the EU member states are also following the implementation of the German Bundestag’s Decision adopted two months after the Brussels Agreement and anxiously awaiting the decision confirming the opening of this chapter based on the results of the Brussels Agreement.
Ambassador Moro and Committee Chairman Senic agreed that the bilateral political, economic and cultural cooperation is at a high level, and that the France-Serbia Parliamentary Friendship Group would contribute to the strengthening of mutual cooperation. The Committee Chairman again thanked the Republic of France for the support is offers Serbia in the European integration process, reform processes, economic development and strengthening of economic cooperation.