NKEU: Government should take urgent steps to open talks

BELGRADE - The National Convention on the EU (NKEU) appealed to the Serbian government on Wednesday to take immediate steps focused towards opening the first chapters of the accession talks with the EU as soon as possible and towards speeding up the EU integration process.

"It is necessary to pay more attention to objections and recommendations coming from the European Commission and start a serious analysis and planning process for future steps by the Serbian government," the NKEU stated.

They appealed to the government to appoint a core team for the negotiations with the EU and all the missing state secretaries and other state officials in key ministries, so the system for Decentralised Implementation System would function unimpeded.

The NKEU also called on the government to establish an efficient policy of holding on to those officials that are involved in EU integration and manage pre-accession funds, so the system would be sustainable and independent of political change and the planned downsizing in the state administration.

The NKEU also wants the government to urgently set priorities in national development, present them and initiate a public debate on the issue, "so the resources available from the national and EU funds would be directed efficiently to national priorities during the talks."

The NKEU believes the government should allow civil society representatives to participate in the creation of action plans related to particular chapters of the accession talks and accept recommendations coming from the civil society, the statement says.

The NKEU is a permanent body used to host a debate on Serbia's EU integration between representatives of non-governmental organisations, experts,...