Accelerating key activities to meet interim benchmarks under chapters 23, 24

Ambassador and Head of the Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union, Head of the Operational Team for Serbia's EU accession and Chief Negotiator Danijel Apostolović chaired today a joint meeting of the negotiating groups for the rule of law chapters 23 and 24.

The meeting examined the implementation of key activities required to meet interim benchmarks under these chapters and the obligations under the Reform Agenda, with the aim of accelerating accession negotiations.

Apostolović stressed that it is necessary to use the existing momentum in EU enlargement policy and to bring to a conclusion activities that have been ongoing for a long time and are not being considered for the first time.

According to him, there is no time to waste, and particular attention must be paid to the quality and substance of regulations and their compliance with the EU acquis.

In this regard, he said that accusations made by certain civil society organisations that Serbia is trying to use these regulations to push through measures that are not in line with EU standards are unfounded, incorrect and impossible, since in that case the regulations would not receive the green light from the European Commission for adoption.

He also particularly emphasised the importance of deeper involvement of civil society, the general public and all stakeholders in order to ensure greater inclusiveness and transparency of the process.

Representatives of relevant institutions informed Ambassador Apostolović about activities within their purview, and special attention was paid to the Draft Law on Internal Affairs.