Accession of Serbia to the European Union

Serbian EU accession bid
EU member state average Serbia
PPP GDP ($M) 552,780 79,798
Area (km2) 165,048 88,361
Population 18,583,598 7,334,935
Status
Stabilisation and Association
Website
www.seio.gov.rs
Serbia

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Serbia

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The accession of Serbia to the European Union is the process of the Republic of Serbia being admitted into the framework of the European Union as a full-fledged member state. Serbia officially applied for European Union membership on 22 December 2009.[1] The European Commission recommended making it an official candidate on 12 October 2011, following its successful application for the EU membership. Despite its setbacks in the political field, on 7 December 2009 the EU unfroze the trade agreement with Serbia[2] and the Schengen countries dropped the visa requirement for Serbian citizens on 19 December 2009.[3] The government of Serbia has set a goal for EU accession in 2014, as per the Papandreou plan - Agenda 2014.[4][5] European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot seems to back this initiative, predicting Serbia's EU accession within 5 to 7 years following its formal application.[6] Following stalled talks with Serbia, the European Union in October 2010 is said to be willing to move accession talks forward.[7] On 7 November 2007, Serbia initialed a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union, i.e. agreed on the final version of the text to which no or little changes are to be made, which is the step immediately preceding the official signing that was expected to take place in 2008. This was a milestone in Serbia's accession negotiations and was executed following the advice of chief war crimes prosecutor Carla Del Ponte, who advised the EU that the country was complying adequately with the tribunal but Ratko Mladić must be in The Hague prior to any official signing being able to take place.[8] Mladić was subsequently arrested on 26 May 2011, and has since been extradited to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia to stand trial.[9] On 20 July, Goran Hadžić became the last indicted fugitive to be arrested.[10] As such, Serbia now hopes to receive full candidate status in March 2012, contingent on negotiation progress with Kosovo.[11]

Contents

Serbian government stance

The government of Serbia wants to prepare the country for EU accession between 2012 and 2015.[12] However, it seems much more likely that it would happen around 2022 due to many domestic problems and extensive reforms that should be implemented. The Serbian government has declared that the status of the Kosovo region should not be tied with the EU negotiations.

Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 29 April 2008.[13] Vojislav Koštunica, Serbian Prime Minister at the time, said on 1 May that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was right when he said that the SAA should have been signed. But one day later, on 2 May 2008, he vowed to annul the agreement after the election, calling it "a trick", "Solana's agreement" and "the Tadić-Đelić SAA signature".[14][15] After the Serbian parliamentary election, 2008, a new parliamentary majority and government was formed and the SAA opposition was left without political power. The new Serbian Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetkovic, announced “One of the first moves of the new government will be to submit the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union to the parliament for ratification” [16] As of January 2009 the Serbian government has started to implement its obligations under the agreement unilaterally.[17] The effects remain to be evaluated by the European Commission.

According to a survey by the Centre for Free Elections and Democracy, as of November 2009, support for accession among Serbians was 71 percent.[18] However, that support has rapidly dropped, falling to around 60% in late 2010 and 42.4% in April 2011.[19]

European Union stance

The European Union (EU) notes that for the time being, the only [20][21][22][23] pre-condition and obstacle for Serbia's access to the EU is Serbia's cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY),[24] and the object of that obstacle and condition is the extradition of indicted Ratko Mladić and Goran Hadžić for crimes against humanity, the last two persons sought by the ICTY. Ratko Mladić was captured successfully on May 26th 2011 and Goran Hadžić on July 20th 2011.[25]

A strong opponent of Serbia's signing and ratification of the SAA was the Netherlands, which stated that it will not put the SAA in force until Ratko Mladic is in ICTY custody. On Sept 15, 2008, the Netherlands froze the trade-related part of the SAA with Serbia.[26][27]

Serbia and the EU were at odds over implementation of the EU's EULEX mission to Kosovo. The EU wants to implement its mission in Kosovo according to Martti Ahtisaari’s Kosovo status proposal, but Serbia wants EULEX to be first approved by the UN Security Council in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.[28][29] This has subsequently occurred after the UN Chancellor and Serbian government have reached a 5-point plan, after which the UNSC has approved the EULEX mission, which functioned under the mandate of the UNMIK.On May 19. 2011 during his official visit in Serbia Jose Manuel Barroso President of the European Commission said that recognition of Kosovo is not a pre-condition for Serbia EU accession. [30]

The signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement was opposed by the Governments of the Netherlands and Belgium while the Government of Spain lobbied on behalf of Serbia.[31]

Negotiations

The European Union has been considering enlargement in the Balkans since at least the late 1990s.[24] The negotiations became serious after Serbia began the reform process after the fall of the Milošević regime in 2000, back then as part of the state union of Serbia and Montenegro[32] when the EU officially declared that the Balkan states are potential candidates for membership, confirmed in 2003.[24]

Negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement started in November 2005.[24]

On 3 May 2006, the European Union suspended SAA talks with Serbia over its failure to arrest Ratko Mladić, stating that Serbia failed to fulfill its commitment to fully co-operate with International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.[24] This slowed the pace of Serbia's EU entry and the reform process in Serbia. In July 2006, an action plan for the arrest of Ratko Mladić was issued by the government, aimed to locate and bring the former general to justice, which is expected to improve relations with EU. In May 2007, Serbian parties reached an agreement on a new government, and placed President Boris Tadić as head of the newly created National Security Council. Within weeks of the Council's establishment, Serbian officials made two key arrests of indicted war criminals. As a result, on 13 June 2007, the European Union decided to reopen negotiations. On 21 July 2008, Radovan Karadžić was arrested. On 26 May 2011 Mladić was arrested.

On 8 November 2007, Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Božidar Đelić and the European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Olli Rehn initialed in Brussels the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the European Union.[33]

Olli Rehn said that the EU decision to initial the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with Serbia was the result of improved cooperation with the ICTY, as reported by the chief prosecutor of this Tribunal, Carla Del Ponte.

Rehn underlined that full cooperation of Belgrade with the ICTY remains a precondition for signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which was initialed two years after the launching of the first negotiation round. On 16 January 2008 the Netherlands and Belgium confirmed that their countries would not sign the SAA (signatures are needed from all EU member states) until Serbia complied fully with the ICTY.[34] On 14 January 2008 ICTY prosecutor Serge Brammertz stated that there was no change and Serbia was still not fully cooperating.[35]

Following this agreement, the EU planned to grant candidate status to Serbia as early as 2009, contingent on its full cooperation with the Hague tribunal, but it still has not received it by December 1, 2011.[36][37]

Stabilisation and Association Agreement

Kosovo's provisional government unilaterally declared independence from Serbia, on 17 February 2008. This was followed by most EU countries recognising Kosovo as an independent country. These events heavily influenced the Serbian political landscape. The central topic on which the coalition partners diverged was Serbia's EU accession.

On 4 April 2008, Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Koštunica, supported by Velimir Ilić, Minister of Infrastructure, stated that EU membership is no longer on the agenda for Serbia. Koštunica said that before EU accession continuation Serbia and EU must discuss the matter of borders and Serbia's territorial integrity.[38] He said that Serbia must by no means sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. He referred to the agreement as "Solana's agreement".[39][40][41]

At the same time President Boris Tadić said that the Vienna Convention allows him to sign the agreement and that he will sign it if it is offered.[42] Božidar Đelić, Deputy Prime Minister, has been previously authorised by the Government to sign the agreement and is still willing to do so.[43]

Deputy Prime Minister, Božidar Đelić signed the Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 29 April 2008. The ceremony in Luxembourg was attended by President Boris Tadić and Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremić.[13]

On 1 May Koštunica said that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was right when he said that the SAA should have been signed but one day later on 2 May 2008 he vowed to annul the agreement after the election, calling it "a trick", "Solana's agreement" and "the Tadić-Đelić SAA signature".[14][15]

After the Serbian parliamentary election of 2008, a new parliamentary majority and government was formed, and the SAA opposition was left without political power. A new Serbian Prime Minister, Mirko Cvetkovic announced "One of the first moves of the new government will be to submit the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union to the parliament for ratification".[16] On 9 September 2008, a Parliament of Serbia have ratified the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU. The European Commission (EC) welcomes the ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) by the Serbian parliament.[44]

On 15 September 2008, the Netherlands froze the trade related part of a pre-accession deal (SAA) with Serbia.[26]

On 16 October 2008, the Serbian government unilaterally decided to begin implementing the Interim Trade agreement with the EU starting 1 January 2009.[45][46]

Event Republic of
Macedonia [47]		 Croatia [48] Albania [49] Montenegro1 [50] Bosnia and
Herzegovina [51]		 Serbia2 [52] Kosovo
(under UNSCR 1244)3
SAA negotiations start 5.4.2000 24.11.2000 31.1.2003 10.10.2005 25.11.2005 10.10.2005 (?)
SAA initialled 24.11.2000 14.5.2001 28.2.2006 15.3.2007 4.12.2007 7.11.2007 (?)
SAA/IA signature 9.4.2001 29.10.2001 12.6.2006 15.10.2007 16.6.2008 29.4.2008 (?)
Interim Agreement:
EC ratification 27.4.2001 30.1.2002 12.6.2006 15.10.2007 16.6.2008 8.12.2009 (?)
SAP state ratification 27.4.2001 30.1.2002 9.10.2006 14.11.2007 20.6.2008 22.9.2008 (?)
entry into force 1.6.2001 1.3.2002 1.12.2006 1.1.2008 1.7.2008 1.2.2010 (?)
Notification of the EC of SAA ratification by:
SAP state 27.4.2001 30.1.2002 9.11.2006 13.11.2007 26.2.2009 22.9.2008 (?)
Austria 6.9.2002 15.3.2002 21.5.2008 4.7.2008 4.9.2009 13.1.2011 (?)
Belgium 29.12.2003 17.12.2003 22.10.2008 29.3.2010 29.3.2010 (2012) (?)
Bulgaria entered the EU later 30.5.2008 13.3.2009 12.8.2010 (?)
Cyprus entered the EU later 30.5.2008 20.11.2008 2.7.2009 26.11.2010 (?)
Czech Republic entered the EU later 7.5.2008 19.2.2009 23.7.2009 28.1.2011 (?)
Denmark 10.4.2002 8.5.2002 24.4.2008 25.6.2008 26.5.2009 4.3.2011 (?)
Estonia entered the EU later 17.10.2007 22.11.2007 11.9.2008 19.8.2010 (?)
Finland 6.1.2004 6.1.2004 29.11.2007 18.3.2009 7.4.2009 21.10.2011 (?)
France 4.6.2003 4.6.2003 12.2.2009 30.7.2009 10.2.2011 24.11.2011[53] (?)
Germany 20.6.2002 18.10.2002 19.2.2009 16.11.2009 14.8.2009 10.2.2011[54] (?)
Greece 27.8.2003 27.8.2003 26.2.2009 4.3.2010 20.9.2010 10.3.2011 (?)
Hungary entered the EU later 23.4.2007 14.5.2008 22.10.2008 16.11.2010 (?)
Ireland 6.5.2002 6.5.2002 11.6.2007 4.6.2009 4.6.2009 29.9.2011 (?)
Italy 30.10.2003 6.10.2004 7.1.2008 13.10.2009 8.9.2010 6.1.2011 (?)
Latvia entered the EU later 19.12.2006 17.10.2008 12.11.2009 30.5.2011 (?)
Lithuania entered the EU later 17.5.2007 4.3.2009 4.5.2009 (2012) (?)
Luxembourg 28.7.2003 1.8.2003 4.7.2007 11.6.2009 22.12.2010 21.1.2011 (?)
Malta entered the EU later 21.4.2008 11.12.2008 7.1.2010 6.7.2010 (?)
Netherlands 9.9.2002 30.4.2004 10.12.2007 29.1.2009 30.9.2009 (2012) (?)
Poland entered the EU later 14.4.2007 6.2.2009 7.4.2010 27.10.2011[55] (?)
Portugal 14.7.2003 14.7.2003 11.7.2008 23.9.2008 29.6.2009 4.3.2011 (?)
Romania entered the EU later 15.1.2009 8.1.2010 (2012) (?)
Slovakia entered the EU later 20.7.2007 29.7.2008 17.3.2009 11.11.2010 (?)
Slovenia entered the EU later 18.1.2007 7.2.2008 10.3.2009 7.12.2010 (?)
Spain 4.10.2002 4.10.2002 3.5.2007 12.3.2009 15.6.2010 21.6.2010 (?)
Sweden 25.6.2002 27.3.2003 21.3.2007 11.3.2009 14.9.2009 15.4.2011 (?)
United Kingdom 17.12.2002 3.9.2004 16.10.2007 12.1.2010 20.4.2010 11.8.2011 (?)
European Communities 25.2.2004 21.12.2004 26.2.2009 29.3.2010 (2012)4 (2012) (?)
SAA entry into force 1.4.2004 1.2.2005 1.4.2009 1.5.2010 (2012)4 (2012) (?)

(brackets): earliest possible date
1 For Montenegro, negotiations started in November 2005 while a part of Serbia and Montenegro. Separate technical negotiations were conducted regarding issues sub-state organizational competency. Mandate for direct negotiations with Montenegro established in July 2006. Direct negotiations were initiated on 26 September 2006 and concluded on 1 December 2006.[56]

2 For Serbia, negotiations started in November 2005 (as part of SiM, modified mandate from July 2006).

3 For Kosovo, a partially recognized breakaway province of Serbia, negotiations on a Stabilisation Tracking Mechanism began in 2003 and are still ongoing. The EU is still divided on how exactly to continue the SAP with Kosovo, as some of its members remain opposed to Kosovo's independence.

4 Although ratified by all member states, the entry into force of Bosnia's SAA has been delayed due to the fact that Bosnia has yet to make the required constitutional amendments.[57]

Public Opinion

Serbian government's Office for EU Integration data

Date Question Yes No Unsure
December, 2003[58] Join EU? 72%  %  %
June, 2008[59] Join EU? 67% 12%  %
October, 2008[60] Join EU? 65%  %  %
December, 2009[61] Join EU? 65%  %  %
June, 2010[62][63] Join EU? 65%  %  %
November, 2010[64] Join EU? 63%  %  %
December 17. do 23, 2010[65][66] Join EU? 57% 18% 20%
May, 2011[67] Join EU? 55%  %  %
June 16 - 23, 2011[68][69] Join EU? 53% 24% 23%
October, 2011[70][71] Join EU? 46% 37%

Other Sources

Date Agency Question Yes No Unsure
2006[72] Gallup Balkan Monitor Join EU? 61%  %  %
October, 2008[73] Strategic Marketing Join EU? 61%  %  %
November, 2010[74] Gallup Balkan Monitor Join EU? 44%  %  %

Key events in Serbia accession to EU

Timeline of events:

1997: Regional Approach. The EU Council of Ministers establishes political and economic conditionality for the development of bilateral relations.
1999: The EU proposes the new Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) for five countries of Southeastern Europe, including Serbia.
2000 Oct: Fall of the Milosevic regime.[75]
2000 Nov: Serbia to benefit from Autonomous Trade Preferences from the EU.
2001: First year of the new CARDS programme specifically designed for the SAP countries.
2001 Jun: Feira European Council states that all the SAP countries are "potential candidates" for EU membership.
2001 Jul: Start of the EU-FRY Consultative Task Force.
2002 Mar: Signature of the Belgrade Agreement on a State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
2003 Jun: At Thessaloniki Summit, the SAP is confirmed as the EU policy for the Western Balkans. The EU perspective for these countries is confirmed.
2003 Jul: EU Enhanced Permanent Dialogue with Serbia and Montenegro replaces the format of the Consultative Task Force
2004 Jun: Council decision on the European Partnership for Serbia and Montenegro, updated in January 2006.[76]
2004 Oct: Council conclusions open up a process for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
2005 Oct: Negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement are launched.[77]
2006-May-3: SAA negotiations called off due to lack of progress on cooperation with the ICTY.[78]
2006-May-21: Montenegro declares independence.[79]
2006-Jun-15: The Government of Serbia officially recognises Montenegro as an independent state.[80]
2006 Jun: Following the declaration of independence of Montenegro, Serbia becomes the legal successor to the State Union.[81]
2006 Oct: Parliament of Serbia adopts a new Constitution, which is confirmed by referendum.[82]
2007-June-13: SAA negotiations with Serbia resumed, following a clear commitment by the country to achieve full cooperation with the ICTY.[83]
2007-Nov-01: Serbia's SAA is initialed.[84]
2008-Jan-01: Entry into force of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement between Serbia and the EU.[85]
2008-Feb-17: Assembly of Kosovo declares independence.[86]
2008-Feb-18: Council of the EU - Decision on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the European Partnership with Serbia including Kosovo.[87]
2008-Apr-29: Serbia's SAA and Interim Agreement (IA) are signed in Luxembourg.[88]
2008-May-07: Commissioner Barrot hands over the Road Map on Visa Liberalisation, set up with the aim of achieving a visa-free regime for Serbian citizens wishing to travel to Schengen countries.[89]
2008-July-21: War crime indictee Radovan Karadzic is arrested.[90]
2008-Sep-09: SAA and IA ratified by National Assembly of Serbia.
2008-Sep-15: Netherlands freezes SAA and trade part of SAA.[45]
2008-Oct-16: Serbian government unilaterally decided to begin with implementation of trade part of Interim Trade agreement with EU starting 1 January 2009.[45][46]
2009-Jan-01: Serbia implements Interim Trade Agreement with the EU.[45][46]
2009-Nov-30: European Commission decides to put Serbia on White Schengen list.
2009-Dec-07: European Commission decides to implement Interim Trade agreement with Serbia.
2009-Dec-19: Visa-free regime for Serbia is put into force.
2009-Dec-22: Serbia officially applies for membership in the European Union.
2010-Feb-01: Interim agreement entry into force.
2010-Jun-14: European Commission decides to start ratification of SAA.
2010-Jun-21: Spain ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2010-Jul-02: Malta ratifies Serbia's SAA.[91]
2010-Jul-16: Bulgaria ratifies Serbia's SAA.[92]
2010-Aug-19: Estonia ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2010-Sep-09: Slovakia ratifies Serbia's SAA.[93]
2010-Oct-25: Council of the EU forwards Serbia's application for EU membership to the European commission.[94]
2010-Nov-16: Hungary ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2010-Nov-24: European Commission presents Legislative questionnaire to applicant; the questionnaire contains 2,483 questions and subquestions.
2010-Nov-26: Cyprus ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2010-Dec-07: Slovenia ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-06: Italy ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-13: Austria ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-19: European Parliament ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-21: Luxembourg ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-26: Greece ratifies Serbia's SAA.[95]
2011-Jan-28: Czech Republic ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Jan-31: Serbia responds to EU questionnaire.
2011-Feb-10: Germany ratifies Serbia's SAA.
2011-Mar-01: United Kingdom ratifies Serbia's SAA.[96]
2011-Mar-03: Denmark ratifies Serbia's SAA[97][98]
2011-Mar-04: Portugal ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-Apr-15: Sweden ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-May-26: War fugitive Ratko Mladić arrested in Lazarevo in Northern Serbia.
2011-May-30: Latvia ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-May-31: Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladić is extradited to the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.[99]
2011-July-20: War fugitive Goran Hadžić, the last fugitive indicted by the ICTY, is arrested,[100] signaling the final hurdle to Serbia's candidate status.[101]
2011-July-22: Former Serbian army chief Goran Hadžić is extradited to the UN's International Criminal Tribunal.[102]
2011-Sep-29: Ireland ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-Oct-12: European Commission has recommended that Serbia be granted an official EU candidate status
2011-Oct-21: Finland ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-Oct-27: Poland ratifies Serbia's SAA
2011-Nov-24: France ratifies Serbia's SAA

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