Roundup: Serbia makes sustainable progress towards EU membership: Commission report

The European Commission's report on Serbia published Wednesday further marks the country's progress on its EU path, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and the head of the EU delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said here.

The report was presented by Davenport within the EU's annual "Enlargement Package 2016" program, which accesses where the countries of the Western Balkans and Turkey stand in implementing key political and economic reforms related to the EU membership.

Davenport said at a joint press conference with Vucic Serbia had confirmed membership in the union as its top strategic priority by opening the first four chapters of the EU acquis.

He praised Serbia's reform of the public sector, support to the economy with ambitious reforms, and attracting foreign investors -- efforts which have all, according to him, come as a result of improvement in rule of law and the business climate.

Davenport said that the EU is Serbia's biggest partner when it comes to investments as well as favorable loans, and announced more cooperation in tackling organized crime.

The report suggests, among other things, that Serbia needs constitutional reforms to align with EU standards in some areas, as well as improvement in quality and efficiency of the judiciary and professional administration.

"Corruption remains prevalent in many areas and continues to be a serious problem," the report said, adding that there also is a need for increased efforts on implementation of agreements reached within the EU-mediated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo and Metohija, its southern province which unilaterally proclaimed independence in 2008 backed by Western countries.

Vucic said that this "serious and realistically written report" shows that Serbia is making progress in "all areas of European integration" and announced that in upcoming years Serbia will reform even more and open further chapters in its European integrations.

"My message to Serbian people is that our country is on the EU path, that we wish to be a part of European society and to make progress," he said at the press conference.

Vucic said the EU acknowledges the importance of Serbia's political role in the region and in the migrant crisis as well as Serbia's economic progress and growth.

The next EU Commission report will be postponed until April 2018 as it is changing its methodology of accessing countries. Endit