Minister of European Integration Jadranka Joksimović said today that Serbia has begun the third revision of the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis, whereby Serbia undertakes to fully align its legislation with the European Union by 2021.
In an interview for RTV, Minister Joksimović stated that the document obliging Serbia to fully align its legislation with the EU by the end of 2018 had been adopted several years ago, but that it had been probably, as she said, an ambitious deadline.
"As the circumstances have changed, we have revised the Action Plans and dates, and we have recently started the third revision of the National Programme for the Adoption of the Acquis, setting a more realistic deadline, which is the end of 2021," Joksimović explained.
She added that the existing Action Plan, which, as she said, had not been revised yet, envisaged constitutional reforms by the end of 2017, regarding the targeted judicial reforms − the manner of election of prosecutors and judges, with a view to increase independence and efficiency.
Minister Joksimović stated that, as a politicologist, she did not understand the drama in the public about the change of the Constitution, noting that an atmosphere was created in society that the Preamble was a hidden motive in Constitutional changes that hindered all changes.
"I personally think there are serious omissions in the text of the Constitution that are not related to the Preamble and the election of judicial functions, but we should not create paranoia and blame the Preamble for things being postponed. The essence of a comprehensive amendment to the Constitution requires a wider discourse of debate, as this is a participatory process in which everyone should take part," Minister Jadranka Joksimović said.
Sources: The Public Broadcasting Service of Vojvodina (television show Politbiro), Tanjug
