Miscevic: Elections are not slowing down EU integration

BELGRADE - Elections in Serbia are not slowing down European integration, Tanja Miscevic, Serbia’s chief negotiator in the talks with the EU said Sunday, adding, however, that reforms that Europe demands necessitate rapid formation of institutions after the elections.

Miscevic stated that the agenda including 50 screenings and analytical reviews planned for this year has not been postponed, despite Serbia’s early parliamentary elections taking place on March 16.

“We have had four analytical reviews, dealing with a range of issues, from the freedom of movement, workers, freedom to offer services, mutual recognition of qualifications to issues such as food security and social policy and employment,” Miscevic told Radio television of Serbia (RTS).

A political decision by the government and an opinion of the Serbian parliament will be needed when negotiating chapters are open, and under the EU Platform, at least three can be opened in the first years of negotiations (2014) - Chapters 23 and 24 and Chapter 35 as an instrument for monitoring the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, she said.

Miscevic said that the European integration process is not being slowed down even by the fact that the government is operating under a ‘technical mandate’.

She said Serbia is at an early stage of the negotiating process and the time was best to call the elections. She explained that at this stage, political decisions are not necessary and a political decision of the government will be needed when the first chapters are opened.

“The parliament will play a key political role, and the government will not be able to propose a negotiating platform for each of the chapters ‘just like that’, without consulting with...