Kovac: No consensus on sanctions, EP resolution to be non-binding

BELGRADE - Commenting on a draft European Parliament resolution calling on the EU to impose sanctions against Serbia that would be similar to those against the so-called Kosovo, Elvira Kovac, a member of the Serbian delegation to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, said on Wednesday the resolution would not be binding.

In a statement to Tanjug, Kovac said EU member states currently lacked the consensus required for imposing sanctions on Serbia.

"I initially saw five working versions of the draft by five political groups, and it was already clear at the time that, however things may be combined, it cannot be good. Clearly, all political groups in the EP have approached this issue with criticism, anger and in an unobjective manner, and it is as if certain parts were written by someone from Serbia who does not really wish (the country) good, but let's not get into hypothetical things," Kovac said a day before an EP vote on the draft.

"But we need to understand that the resolution is not binding and that, whatever the EP - which has been the most critical EU institution lately if we compare the European Commission, the European Council and the EP - may say, their resolutions are not binding and imposing sanctions requires a consensus that is currently non-existent among member states," Kovac said.

She said she completely agreed with a section of the draft that called for an unbiased investigation of the September 24 events in Banjska.