Operating team for Serbia's EU accession holds first meeting

BELGRADE - The Operating Team for Serbia's EU accession, chaired by Danijel Apostolovic, who is also Serbia's ambassador to the EU, held its first meeting on Friday, highlighting opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks as one of the main objectives.

The meeting, which took place in the Serbian government building, officially marked the start of the team's work.

"Today, the team members discussed the priorities and methodology of work for the coming period, as well as the activity plan aimed at fulfilling obligations within the framework of the negotiation process with the EU.

The main objectives highlighted were the opening of Cluster 3 (Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth), the fulfilment of the transitional benchmarks for Chapter 23 (Judiciary and Fundamental Rights) and Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom and Security) – IBAR, which are key to accelerating the dynamics of accession negotiations.

The objectives also include the fulfilment of the benchmarks for the opening of Cluster 2 (Internal Market) and Cluster 5 (Resources, Agriculture, Cohesion), preparations for Cluster 6 (External Relations), as well as the fulfilment of specific recommendations from the European Commission’s Annual Report on Serbia.

The Team members presented an overview of the situation in their areas and discussed plans and deadlines for implementing activities necessary to improve the dynamics of accession negotiations," a government statement said.

It was concluded that the team would hold regular meetings and actively contribute to strengthening institutional capacities and significantly accelerating the process of Serbia's EU accession.

The team was recently set up at the initiative of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic with the aim of "strengthening coordination, accelerating and improving activities in the process of Serbia's European integration."

The meeting was also attended by Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabic, First Deputy PM and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali, Deputy PM and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic, Minister of European Integration Nemanja Starovic - who is also Serbia's chief negotiator in the EU accession talks and national coordinator for the Instrument for Reforms and Growth - Justice Minister Nenad Vujic, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management Dragan Glamocic, presidential foreign policy adviser Tatjana Jovic, the PM's foreign policy adviser Nemanja Dikovic and the head of the Office for Kosovo-Metohija Petar Petkovic and his deputies.