Eerste bijeenkomst Stabilisatie- en Associatieraad EU samen met Servië (en)

COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Luxembourg, 21 October 2013

(OR. en) PRESSE 430

FIRST MEETING STABILISATION AND ASSOCIATION COUNCIL BETWE SERBIA AND THE EU

Joint Press Release

The Stabilisation and Association Council (SA Council) between Serbia and the European Union held its first meeting on 21 October 2013. The meeting was chaired by Ms Catherine Ashton i, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. The Delegation of Serbia was led by Prime Minister Ivica Dacic who was accompanied by Minister without portfolio responsible for European integration Branko Ruzic. Commissioner Stefan Füle i also took part in the meeting

The SA Council welcomed the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 1 September 2013 and commended Serbia for its progress in 2013 on its path towards the European Union. The European Union noted that the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SA Agreement) is an important step for Serbia's EU integration process and that it provides the broad framework within which the EU and Serbia will intensify their co-operation on the political criteria, trade and legal approximation

The SA Council recalled the European Council conclusions of 28 June 2013 as well as the Council conclusions of 25 June 2013, which commend the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo* for the progress achieved in the EU-facilitated dialogue. It underlined the historic importance of the conclusion of the 'First Agreement of principles governing the normalisation of relations of 19 April 2013. The SA Council also welcomed the agreement reached on energy and telecommunications on 8 September 2013. It is of importance in the context of Serbia's further progress in its EU accession that the 19 April agreement and all other agreements reached in the dialogue with Pristina are implemented in good faith

The European Union welcomed the efforts of both sides to ensure a successful conduct of the municipal elections of 3 November in Kosovo

The SA Council recalled that the SA Agreement sets out the rules for a comprehensive partnership between Serbia and the EU. The SA Agreement will also help Serbia implement EU standards in key policy areas. This will allow Serbia to align its legislation to the whole body of EU standards, thus creating a new impetus for the Serbian economy and economic welfare of its citizens as well as additional opportunities for EU companies. Moreover, the SA Agreement will further reinforce the already clearly visible positive benefits of the Interim Agreement especially in the area of trade

The SA Agreement will remain at the core of the relationship between the EU and Serbia all the way until accession. In that context, the SA Council noted positively that the process of analytical examination of the acquis communautaire with Serbia began in September, starting with the chapters on the judiciary and fundamental rights and justice, freedom and security, in order to facilitate rapid progress in the accession negotiations

The SA Council took note of the Progress Report and the Strategy Paper adopted by the Commission on 16 October 2013

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence