Kos, Photo: Boris Pejović
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, speaking about the resolution on Serbia that will be voted on tomorrow, told N1 that the position of both the Commission and the parliament towards Serbia is strict, but fair and engaged.
“I think it is in the interest of both the EU and Serbia that a democratic Serbia be brought into the EU and we have the support of the members of the European Parliament for that. On the other hand, that cannot just happen. We are living in moments in which we have to make strategic choices. Serbia has to make strategic choices that are clear. What that means is that we need not only the adoption of EU reforms but also their implementation. That means that we want to see an inclusive accession process in which civil society, the opposition, all interested actors are involved. What we want to see are mainly reforms in terms of respecting fundamental rights, in terms of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, freedom of the media and the academic community, and administrative reforms – a new REM and the electoral register,” she explained.
She also emphasized that Serbia must enable the media to operate, and when asked about the situation with United Media, she stated:
“There should be no economic or political pressure on the media. However, I must emphasize that this is not something that happens only in Serbia. We see it everywhere. On the other hand, that is why in the near future we will adopt a specific strategy for civil society for the first time in the history of the Commission and we will work on a plan for media resilience,” Kos said.
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