Serbia successfully implements interim trade agreement with EU

Belgrade, March 04, 2010 (Source: serbiangov.rs) – Deputy Prime Minister for EU integration Bozidar Djelic stated at the first session of the Committee for Implementing the Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade Related Issues with the EU that Serbia has been successfully implementing the agreement for 14 months.

Djelic, who chaired the first session together with Director for Western Balkans in the European Commission's Directorate General for Enlargement Pierre Mirel, said that this is a huge success for the Serbian government and Serbian citizens. He said that today Serbia has formally established the contractual-partner relation with the EU, adding that European and Serbian interests have been contemplated and compared for the first time at the session. The interests of Serbian producers will be protected from now on in the EU market in the same way in which European producers are protected in Serbia, Djelic said adding that the meeting also looked at trade with the EU and fulfilling tariff quotas for Serbian exports. The Deputy Prime Minister recalled that Serbia exports 80% of its goods to the EU, while over 75% of imported goods in Serbia come from the EU. Even so, there was a fall of 25% in the trade volume with the EU in 2009, Djelic said adding that the crisis did not affect the agricultural sector, in which Serbia made a surplus. He also stressed that Serbia is the only country in central and south-eastern Europe to have attained a surplus in agricultural exchange with the EU in 2009, which doubled in comparison with 2008. The quota allocated for the export of baby beef from Serbia to the EU has not been fulfilled, since only 12% of the total approved amount was exported, while 8% of the quota was used for the export of wine and the export of fish was also below the quota.
Djelic said that only export quotas of over 180,000 tonnes have been met for sugar. He said that it is not understandable that Serbia has the same quota for sugar exports as Croatia, since Croatia produces less sugar. The Serbian Deputy Prime Minister said that the citizens of Serbia seeking political asylum in EU countries will be returned to Serbia in accordance with the agreement on readmission, while the organizers of such transport will be punished. Djelic said that Serbia will not tolerate those who through their actions want to jeopardise the crucial freedom of all citizens of Serbia. He said that an attempt to abuse of the liberal laws of Belgium with regard to political asylum in no way implies the action of the state. The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated that Serbia was aware of the fact that the liberalisation of visa regime is not only a privilege but also an obligation. Mirel said that people who abuse the possibility to travel without visas hamper the reputation of Serbia, and reiterated that travel without visas does not imply a work permit. He said that there is a large number of people misusing this circumstance, which indicates that there is an organised group behind. Political asylum is sought by people who come from non-democratic countries and Serbia is a democratic country, concluded Mirel.