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The Council of Ministers of the European Union has approved today the decision to change the negotiating framework with Serbia for its membership in the EU. The European Union has set Serbia a condition for membership, the normalization of relations with Kosovo.
This change has to do with chapter 35 of the negotiating framework, in which the implementation of the Agreement on the path towards the normalization of relations with Kosovo now becomes a formal condition for Serbia in the process of membership negotiations in the bloc.
"Serbia fully implements the obligations arising from the Agreement on the way to the normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, according to the Annex of its implementation, as agreed on March 18, 2023," the text says.
The European Commission and the EU's External Action Service, which had also proposed these changes, have welcomed the decision of the Council of Ministers to approve them, according to the EU's spokesperson, Peter Stano.
"Both parties had accepted their respective obligations, that the Agreement for the normalization [of relations] would become an integral part of their European integration journey. The implementation of the Annex reached in March 2023 reflects this obligation of both parties", said Stano.
Stano confirmed that such an obligation will become formal for Kosovo as well through a "special group for normalization".
"The agenda of the next meeting of the special group for normalization for Kosovo will also be updated. We expect both parties to implement the Agreement and all other obligations that remain from the dialogue, because this is key for their respective European journey", he added.
This change had been requested to be included as a condition within chapter 35 of the membership negotiations since the agreement was reached a year ago.
This agreement, of 11 articles, provides, among other things, a level of self-management for the Serbian community in Kosovo and mutual recognition of state symbols, while it requires Pristina and Belgrade to also implement all previous agreements reached. during the dialogue.
The EU insists that the agreement and the annex, despite not being signed by the parties, are legal obligations for both countries. /REL
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