European Commission to decide on Serbia's application to the EU

[News_Editor]

European Commission to decide on Serbia's application to the EU

2010-10-26 08:14:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

BRUSSELS (BNO NEWS) -- The European Council on Monday decided to refer Serbia's application for European Union (EU) membership to the European Commission.

"I welcome today's decision of the Council to refer to the Commission Serbia's application for EU membership," said Commissioner Stefan Füle. "This opens an important new phase in EU-Serbia relations."

Serbia presented, through President Boris Tadic, its application for EU membership on December 22, 2009. The European Council decided to implement the procedure laid down in Article 49 of the Treaty of the EU in which the European Commission is invited to submit its opinion on the issue.

The Commission will immediately begin a thorough, objective and qualitative assessment of the merits of Serbia on all three criteria for accession: political, economic and the ability to take on the obligations of EU membership.

Meanwhile, the European Council urged Serbia to effectively cooperate with International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and implement the recommendations presented by the ICTY prosecutor to the UN Security Council in June. These recommendations relate to Serbia's assistance in the arrest of two remaining fugitives, Ratko Mladic and Goran Hadzic.

The cooperation of the Balkan country in this issue will be convincing proof of Serbia's efforts and cooperation to the European Union. Mladic and Hadzic are wanted for their alleged responsibility in the Srebrenica genocide in 1995.

During the Bosnian War, over 8,000 Muslim Bosniak men and boys were killed by the Army of Republika Srpska under the orders of General Ratko Mladic. In addition, between 25,000 and 30,000 people in the area of Srebrenica in Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered from ethnic cleansing during the same period.

Until this day, the ICTY has indicted 21 individuals for their crimes committed in the Srebrenica massacre. It includes the conviction of Radislav Krstić, convicted of aiding and abetting genocide in Srebrenica. He was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

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