17. 09. 2013

EU: JUDICIARY, MEDIA AND PRIDE PARADE CRUCIAL

Belgrade, September 17, 2013 (Blic) - The Pride Parade, judicial reform and situation in the media sphere will be crucial in evaluating Serbia in Brussels and preparations for the start of EU membership talks, the daily Blic reports.

"While Serbia is adhering to the Brussels agreement with Pristina, the EU will look favorably on the initiation of negotiations, but that does not mean that we are going to ignore the reform. We are concerned about the state of the judiciary, because the adoption of the laws that regulate this area is still delayed and the Media Strategy has not been implemented. It is unacceptable that the ownership in the media is not transparent and the state still owns media, as well as that details of investigations in criminal cases are leaking into the press and that they are being used for the political conflicts in the media", Blic reports.

This is the issue the current Minister in charge of European integration Branko Ruzic and chief Serbian negotiator Tanja Miscevic will be warned of today in Brussels at the first official introduction and meeting with the EU Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Füle.

Miscevic announced yesterday that she would discuss the state of the reforms in Serbia with Stefan Füle, but stressed that the annual report of the European Commission on the progress of Serbia would not be presented at the occasion. That report is expected in October.