Serbia ready for EU progress, say France, Italy and Austria

Feb 24, 2012, 9:59 GMT

Brussels - France, Italy and Austria believe that Serbia has done what it takes to be officially recognized as a candidate to European Union membership, a document showed Friday - days before the bloc was due to discuss the matter.

'We have conducted a thorough analysis of Serbia's progress and have come to the conclusion that the conditions have been met,' the foreign ministers of the three countries wrote in a letter dated February 22, addressed to EU Foreign Policy Chief Catherine Ashton.

'We should thus honour our promises made in December, give credit to Serbia's recently redoubled commitment and efforts and grant Serbia candidate status,' the document added.

EU leaders held back on the decision in December, insisting that Serbia should patch up its differences with its former province of Kosovo before it could be allowed to further progress towards membership of the bloc.

An EU diplomat said the Franco-Italian-Austrian letter 'reflected many countries' line of thinking,' but cautioned that some EU nations still wanted more progress in ongoing EU-brokered talks between Serbia and Kosovo before approving the decision.

Discussions in Brussels entered their third day on Friday. Serbia is under pressure to stop blocking Kosovo's participation in Balkan regional meetings, implement previous deals on borders and ensure free-movement of EU and NATO missions in northern Kosovo.

'The general mood is that we are not there yet,' another EU diplomat said Friday.

'We are on the final spurt. Decisive action can remove the final obstacles,' German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said late Thursday during a visit to Belgrade.

Germany was instrumental to keeping Serbia's EU bid on hold in December, reacting to incidents which saw ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo attacking German and Austrian NATO peacekeepers.

EU ministers were expected to discuss Serbia's EU chances on Monday and Tuesday, in order to prepare decisions due to be taken - by unanimity - at a summit on March 1-2.

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