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EU positive on Balkan entry bids EU positive on Balkan entry bids
(about 1 hour later)
The EU expects all western Balkan countries by the end of 2008 to have signed initial deals paving the way for eventual entry into the bloc. The EU expects all western Balkan countries by the end of 2008 to have signed initial deals paving the way for eventual entry into the 27-member bloc.
The announcement affects Serbia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia were on course to fulfil all EU conditions.
The EU welcomed Serbia's co-operation with a war crimes court and urged entry hopeful Turkey to improve human rights. He also praised Serbia's co-operation with the UN war crimes tribunal.
The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) is regarded as the first step to full EU membership. But Turkey was urged to improve freedom of expression and minority rights if it wanted its membership bid to progress.
"I expect that in 2008 conditions will be fulfilled and thus we will be able to complete Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) with all countries in the region," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said in Brussels on Tuesday. Mr Rehn said the EU and Turkey should not begin critical accession talks on justice and human rights until Ankara had amended Article 301, a law used to prosecute journalists and intellectuals for "insulting Turkishness".
Pressure on Turkey The commissioner said the international community supported Turkey's efforts to protect its people from recent attacks by Kurdish separatist fighters based in northern Iraq, but called on Ankara to refrain from "disproportionate" military action.
He praised Serbia in particular for turning its back on its nationalist past by supporting the work of the UN's war crimes tribunal in The Hague. 'Turning point'
"I expect that in 2008 conditions will be fulfilled and thus we will be able to complete Stabilisation and Association Agreements (SAA) with all countries in the region," Rehn said in his annual progress report on candidate countries.
This marks a real turning point for Serbia. Now Serbia has to go the last mile and achieve full co-operation Olli RehnEU Enlargement Commissioner
Drafts of the Stabilisation and Association Agreements, which are regarded as the first step towards full EU membership, will be initialled in Brussels on Wednesday.
However, Mr Rehn stressed the SAA with Serbia could only be signed formally when Belgrade co-operates fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by helping to arrest fugitives such as the Bosnian Serb wartime leaders, Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic.
"This marks a real turning point for Serbia," he told a news conference. "Now Serbia has to go the last mile and achieve full co-operation."
READ THE FULL EU DOCUMENT Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2007-2008 [299KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader hereREAD THE FULL EU DOCUMENT Enlargement Strategy and Main Challenges 2007-2008 [299KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
Mr Rehn said he planned to sign a draft version of the SAA with Serbia on Wednesday. The deal would then have to be ratified by the EU's other members.
Mr Rehn said he had made the decision after discussions with the UN war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte.Mr Rehn said he had made the decision after discussions with the UN war crimes prosecutor, Carla del Ponte.
Ms del Ponte "considers there is now the political will and intensified action by the Serbian government to arrest and transfer the remaining fugitives to The Hague tribunal", he said.Ms del Ponte "considers there is now the political will and intensified action by the Serbian government to arrest and transfer the remaining fugitives to The Hague tribunal", he said.
The Hague is spearheading a manhunt for former Bosnian Serb leaders Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, both wanted for atrocities committed during the Balkan wars of the 1990s. The BBC's Nick Hawton in Belgrade says it is relatively rare for Serbia to receive good news from abroad and the initialling of the SAA will be an important signal to the reformers and modernisers within the political establishment that there is a future within Europe.
The European Commission said another membership candidate, Turkey, must make "significant further efforts" to strengthen freedom of expression and improve the rights of its Kurdish minority. It will strengthen their hand in the difficult times ahead when the long-term political status of Kosovo is to be determined, an issue which usually benefits the nationalists, our correspondent says.
Mr Rehn said the EU and Turkey should not begin critical accession talks on justice and human rights until Ankara had amended Article 301, a law used to prosecute journalists and intellectuals for "insulting Turkish-ness". Kosovo criticised
Tensions have soared between Turkey and the Kurds after a series of attacks on Turkish troops by Kurdish rebels operating out of Iraq. The breakaway Serbian province, meanwhile, was singled out by the EU in its annual progress report on membership candidates.
The EU said Kosovo, which is run by the United Nations, was plagued by corruption and described its public administration as weak and inefficient.
"Due to a lack of clear political will to fight corruption, and to insufficient legislative and implementing measures, corruption is still widespread," the report said.
"Civil servants are still vulnerable to political interference, corrupt practices and nepotism," it added.
The report also claimed that war crimes trials were being delayed by the unwillingness of the Kosovan population to testify, and said there was no adequate mechanism to address complaints against the UN administration.