Think Tank Official: Serbia’s Reform Agenda Unambitious

Srdjan Majstorovic (BETAPHOTO/MILOS MISKOV/MO)

The reform agenda adopted by the Serbian Cabinet in early October and approved by the European Commission on Oct. 23 – which is a prerequisite for Serbia receiving EU funds through the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans – is not particularly ambitious and its fulfillment will constitute but a small step in accession negotiations, Srdjan Majstorovic, the steering committee head of the European Policy Center think tank, said on Oct. 24.

Speaking for BETA’s Daily European Service on the margins of a gathering in Sarajevo marking the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group, Majstorovic conceded that the adoption of the Reform Agenda is nevertheless an important step contributing to the dynamics of Serbia’s Euro-integrations.

“However, the Reform Agenda itself addresses only part of the reforms Serbia must complete in the Euro-integrations process and, in that sense, one simply must remain agile and monitor what is happening in the area of Serbia’s pre-accession negotiations with the EU, considering that the Reform Agenda covers only a narrow segment of Serbia’s obligations in this process,” Majstorovic stated.

According to him, “the obligations Serbia has with regards to normalizing relations with Kosovo, respecting the rule of law, the operation of democratic institutions as well as introducing restrictive measures against the Russian Federation still remain key prerequisites for the continuation of accession negotiations and the fulfillment of the Agenda itself will not significantly impact the dynamic of accession talks.”