MIŠČEVIĆ: Serbian wants opening of access negotiations with EU in several chapters

(Tanja Miscevic)Head of the negotiating team for the negotiations on the accession of Serbia to the EU Tanja Miščević said that Serbia has the ambition in 2014 to open accession negotiations with the EU in a few chapters, and the achievement of this goal will depend equally from Belgrade and Brussels.

In an interview for Tanjug, Miscevic said that Serbia plans in 2014, except for Chapter 35, which includes the process of normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, to open Chapters 23 and 24 , dedicated to justice, fundamental rights, justice, freedom and security, as well as some less challenging chapters.

- If we have a partnership, there must be a balance , that is, to have difficult chapters opened simultaneously with somewhat easier sections with fewer EU rules to be adjusted, so we could feel the process and how it progresses - said Miščević.

According to her, Serbia is at this point still far from the moment of opening chapters 23 and 24, as only in April we expect the report from the held screening of the criteria for opening the chapters.

Our calendar, no matter how enthusiastic it is to have a sooner start, is limited by EU calendar, explained Miščević .

She said that in 2014, negotiating process will begin on 21 January, with the first Intergovernmental Conference of Serbia and the EU, when negotiations will be formally opened , and the next day screening in Chapter 35 will begin , where for the first time it will be specifically discussed on the content of that chapter.

- The issue of normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina is placed in Chapter 35 , and there will certainly be the implementation of the Brussels reached agreement and plan of continuing normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina - said Miščević .

Head of the negotiating team for the negotiations on the accession of Serbia to the EU said that discussion on the chapter 35 will be led by representatives of the European Foreign Service , and Serbian negotiating sub-group will be led by the Minister without portfolio in charge of Kosovo and Metohija, Aleksandar Vulin .