Serbia & Montenegro: Unilateral efforts complicate EU integration process

The feasibility study currently being conducted by the European Commission, which is expected to be completed in March this year, will determine whether the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) is ready to start negotiations for Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), an important step towards eventual EU membership. So far, the country has failed to fulfill two major requirements - strengthening of the State Union's institutions and the cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Despite the best efforts of the EU to help the authorities, there seems to be little hope that progress will be made on either of these points in the near future. As a result, it is likely that Brussels will postpone the study in order to avoid negative assessment. Meanwhile, at the next level down, the governments of Serbia and Montenegro are pursuing membership independently by presenting laws to parliaments that are in line with the acquis communautaire. However, this route is far from successful as many pieces of legislation are radically altered during the political process.

Article by Biljana Radonjic.