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Kos critical of Vučić and Rama's idea: There is no 'light' or half EU membership, only full membership upon fulfilling o
🇷🇸 Serbia /Economy & Trade

Kos critical of Vučić and Rama's idea: There is no 'light' or half EU membership, only full membership upon fulfilling obligations

From N1 Serbia · (15m ago) Serbian Critical tone

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • European Commissioner Marta Kos is critical of Serbia and Albania's proposal for partial EU integration.
  • Kos insists on full membership, stating there is no 'light' or 'half' membership, only complete accession upon fulfilling all obligations.
  • She notes Serbia's regression in areas like the rule of law and media freedom, urging a course correction for its EU aspirations.

N1 Serbia reports on European Commissioner Marta Kos's critical stance regarding the proposal by Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama for a form of partial integration into the EU, specifically mentioning access to the single European market and the Schengen Zone. Kos firmly rejects this idea, emphasizing that the EU does not offer "light" or "half" memberships. According to her, the only path is full membership, which requires the complete fulfillment of all obligations and criteria.

dvojica političara verovanto zanju da i za članstvo u zajedničkom tržištu i Šengenu morate da ispunite mnogo toga iz oblasti vladavine prava

— Marta KosResponding to the proposal for partial EU integration.

Kos highlights that even for market and Schengen access, significant progress in the rule of law is necessary. She acknowledges ongoing debates within the EU about the current enlargement methodology and the possibility of specific arrangements or phased integration. However, as the Commissioner for Enlargement, her mandate is to prepare candidate countries for full membership. This perspective from Brussels, as reported by N1, clearly communicates that shortcuts are not an option and that adherence to EU standards is paramount.

Dakle, nema popusta

— Marta KosStating that there are no discounts or exceptions for EU accession.

Furthermore, Kos expresses concern over Serbia's political situation, noting a regression in crucial areas such as the rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech, and media freedom. She points out that Serbia, a candidate country for over a decade, is highly polarized and must reverse its current trajectory to secure its future in the EU. The Commissioner also touches upon the geopolitical aspect, reminding Serbia that alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy is a prerequisite for membership, implying that Serbia cannot maintain a neutral stance indefinitely. The message is clear: Serbia must make a decisive choice regarding its strategic orientation.

Dakle nema 'lajt' članstva, nema polovičnog članstva, postoji samo punopravno članstvo, ili ništa. A možete postati član, ako ispunite sve

— Marta KosEmphasizing the all-or-nothing nature of EU membership.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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