MEPs assess the political situation in Serbia. Opening statements by Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur and by Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management.

2021 Report on Serbia: opening statements by Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur and by Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management

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SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladim&iacute;r BILČ&Iacute;K (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, it is my pleasure to present to you the twenty twenty one report on Serbia. Let me begin. Let me begin by thanking all of those who have contributed to the report, especially my shadows. It was my ambition to set out a fair, realistic and accurate report on the current political developments in Serbia with a particular focus on Serbia's EU ath. The draught of this report was prepared as Russia's aggression against Ukraine unfolded. And as for most issues linked world affairs, February 20 22 was a defining moment that will change Europe's history and certainly Europe's future.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , We are committed to Serbia's European Union accession. This is very clear, and it stated in the first paragraph of the report, the European Parliament's political priority has not changed over the years. It remains solid. This house remains a staunch supporter of EU enlargement as the European Parliament reiterates its support for Serbia's EU membership. It also calls that a credible enlargement perspective requires political will, sustainable efforts and irreversible reforms.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , In all areas, particularly those linked to the rule of law, as well as unwavering commitment to European standards and values. How do we measure the accession pace? The report reiterates that the progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights chapters full alignment with EU foreign security and defence policy, including sanctions against Russia as well as the normalisation of Serbia's relations with Kosovo, will determine the pace of accession.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , This is not a new style. Partners in Serbia. The position has been clear on this point in many years and in other Eppy reports during previous years. And while repetition might sometimes seem a bit dull. It remains important to be consistent. Certain open issues remain as open as they were at the opening of the accession negotiations as regards improving electoral conditions, fight against corruption and organised crime, improving media environment and repeated calls for cross-party consensus on EU related reforms. ensuring the country's progress on its EU path.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , And we do not have to look far in history. We can just look at this year's events when we do regret that even after three months since the elections in April, we are still weeks away from forming a parliamentary majority in Serbia. The official results were announced today and this is good news. I welcome it. And this happens, however, at the crucial time in Europe's history, marked by major geopolitical shifts, socio economic problems and his war in Ukraine rages on. Serbia is without a new government. So I do believe valuable time is being lost. A time to make strategic choices is value even more.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , EU accession is Serbia strategic priority, and it is Serbia's strategic decision. So we need to see a treaty strategically by political leadership in Serbia. It is therefore important to start moving towards the EU, not sideways. This report is a complex political document that tackles the most pressing issues linked to Serbia's reforms and new accession path. It is meant to be read as such. It is not a single issue report and credit is given or credit is due, for instance, in the successful conduct of the twenty 22 referendum on constitutional amendments.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , Also, the April elections were a step forward compared to the 20 20 elections, and rightly so, resulted in a more pluralist, pluralistic parliament. We welcome the constructive role of the opposition and as parliamentarians are glad that an electoral boycott was averted, this resulted in a more paternalistic parliament, which is ultimately the most important thing in a modern parliamentary democracy.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , And I would like to take this opportunity to thank my former colleagues, Tanya Fajon and X for their work in the interparty dialogue and paid tribute to the late X, who worked on issues related to Serbia's future until the very last days of his life. I'm sure he would like to see Serbia moving forward on its European path. And as these reports underlines, there is a clear map and a clear plan on how this can be achieved. But the ball is very much in the hands of the new leadership, in the hands of the new government.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur , And this relates to all the key issues which I have outlined rule of law reforms, dialogue with Pristina, as well as full alignment with the EU's internal national positions. I hope we can make progress on this. And as the standing rapporteur of this house, I stand ready to help to work together with our partners in Belgrade. And of course, at least I look forward to listening to the commission and also to the colleagues. And I look forward to a fruitful debate on this report. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, First, let me thank the Rapporteur Bilcick for his work on this report. We are facing unprecedented challenges in Europe that make it clear that EU membership is the most important and most reliable tool for peace, stability and long term prosperity. This was reflected clearly in the European Council conclusions adopted last week. There is one small and rightly so enormous attention given to the EU enlargement policy.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, And I think this honourable house for its continued strong support for the European perspective of our partners in the Eastern neighbourhood and also for the whole of Western Balkans. Today's discussion follows the elections that were held in Serbia in April and the participation of all political forces was of key importance There. And allow me also to acknowledge the important role and the value of the participation of the members of this House in the election observation mission. There have been significant improvements, including those that allowed participation of all political forces.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, But challenges remain. Therefore, the work needs to continue to further strengthen the functioning of democratic institutions. I welcome that. Final election results have been published earlier today, but the Central Election Commission thus paving the way for the constitution of the new parliament. The commission is determined to work with Serbia's leadership and the new government to make further progress on accession negotiations.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, The progress made by Serbia on EU related reforms has allowed us to open. Last December, for the first time, a cluster of four chapters on the Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity. This was an important signal for Serbia. It confirmed that the EU responds positively to reform progress, and it also sent a strong message that the EU is stepping up engagement on the green agenda for the benefit of all citizens.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, However, reforms need to continue building on the momentum of last December and on the successful January referendum on the constitutional amendments. We expect Serbia to deliver real and tangible results, in particular in the area of the rule of law and on the dialogue with Pristina. Both are essential and they will determine the overall pace of Serbia's EU accession negotiations.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Serbia needs to continue to accelerate and deepen reforms on the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption and organised crime, media freedom and the domestic handling of war crimes. The commission will continue to report on and assess Serbia's progress in this respect. The recent agreement reached under the EU facilitated dialogue on the energy agreements implementation roadmap is an important step forward that will hopefully unlock discussions on other outstanding issues in the current geopolitical context.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Serbia has demonstrated its commitment to EU values by aligning with a number of EU declaration and by supporting relevant UN General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine. We now expect Serbia to continue to show this commitment and step up its efforts in progressively aligning with the EU common foreign and security policy, including declarations and restrictive measures in line with the EU Serbia negotiating framework in this regard.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management,, It is also important that Serbia decreases its dependence on Russian gas. The beginning of talks on the Serbia Bulgaria gas interconnector, for which the EU provided almost 50 million. Ilze is an important joint step towards securing and diversifying gas supply for Serbia. We are also supporting cybersecurity and EU oriented strategic communication, including fighting Russian disinformation across the region. Let me underline that the EU is and will remain Serbia's main political and by far the main economic partner.

SOUNDBITE (Original) Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, We will continue to support Serbia's economic recovery, energy, food security and society, including through the significant support made available under the economic and investment plan for the Western Balkans. Thank you for your attention and I look forward to discussion.

2021 Report on Serbia: opening statements by Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Rapporteur and by Janez LENARČIČ, European Commissioner for Crisis Management

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