J. Joksimović with coordinators of six negotiation clusters

May 28 2021 | Belgrade

J. Joksimović with coordinators of six negotiation clusters

Minister of European Integration and Chief Negotiator Jadranka Joksimović has met today with the newly appointed coordinators of six negotiation clusters, with whom she discussed realised activities and further steps of line ministries aimed at accelerating preparations for the continuation of negotiations under the new methodology.

In accordance with the revised negotiation structure, the coordinators have been recently appointed by the government from the ranks of state secretaries or assistant ministers, and they are in charge of clusters Fundamentals, Internal market, Competitiveness and inclusive growth, Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity, Resources, agriculture and cohesion, and External relations.

Emphasising the greater responsibility of line ministries for implementing reforms, Joksimović has particularly stressed the importance of reforms in the rule of law, which are also the key criteria for the continuation of negotiations, as stated in the MEI press release.

The Minister has said that they particularly discussed the activities from cluster 3 – Inclusive growth and competitiveness, and cluster 4 – Green Agenda and sustainable connectivity, which could be ready for opening following the European Commission’s positive assessment on progress in the rule of law.

“Serbia has sent another two negotiating positions from cluster 3, namely for chapter 10 – Information society and media, and chapter 19 – Social policy and employment, and today, after finalising all necessary procedures in the parliament and government, we have sent the negotiating position for chapter 16 – Taxation, also from cluster 3, thus fully completing the preparations for cluster 3 – Inclusive growth and competitiveness”, said Joksimović.

She has noted that it means that the Government has responsibly and actively continued to achieve the goals it has undertaken in the process of European integration.

As regards cluster 4 – Green Agenda, digitalisation and sustainable connectivity, three chapters have already been submitted to the European Commission, while the remaining chapter 15 – Energy, which has demanding benchmarks in the form of action plans for the gas sector, has been finalised in the recent weeks in intensive communication with the EC, as stated in the MEI press release.

The Minister and the coordinators have determined final activities for sending chapter 15 to the EC in the near future, which will complete the preparation of cluster 4.

In addition, they have discussed the progress in all other clusters and defined the pace of activities, agreeing on regular reporting both among line ministries and to the Government and the EC, which will contribute to the acceleration of the accession process.

Source: Tanjug