The main conclusion of the European Commission's report on Serbia's progress towards EU membership is that reforms are moving at a too slow pace and that more credible and consistent changes are needed in a number of areas. This was stated by the head of the EU delegation in Belgrade, Andreas von Beckerath, when handing over the document to Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, RTS reports, BTA reports.
The report, presented on Tuesday by the EC, takes into account both the shortcomings and certain positive developments over the past year. Among them, Von Beckerath pointed to Serbia's good performance on the economic criteria and progress in harmonizing some policies with the rules of the EU's internal market.
He stressed that the document serves as a benchmark for where Serbia is in the accession process and outlines the reforms that need to be implemented in order to achieve real benefits for citizens. According to him, the report is not a criticism, but a “mirror“ that clearly shows both what has been achieved and the areas where further work is needed.
Von Beckerath noted that the report comes at a crucial moment in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment. “Enlargement is a geopolitical imperative and must make our Union stronger. The EU is already preparing for this and assessing the impact of future members on its internal structures,“ he said.
President Aleksandar Vučić said for his part that Serbia would continue reforms and that the European path remained a strategic priority for Belgrade. “I think there are many important things that we need to do together with the EU,“ Vučić stressed.