Speaking points by Mr Olli Rehn

Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enlargement

European Parliament, AFET Committee 

Our message to Belgrade was that they have to fully engage in status talks and to have a more realistic and constructive attitude. At the same time, we stressed to the Kosovo-Albanians that protection of minorities and decentralisation measures are key, that reforms remain necessary and that they also have to make forthcoming and proactive proposals during the status talks. In parallel they need to speed up standards implementation.

Last Saturday I returned from a most useful and productive mission to the Western Balkans with President Barroso. We visited six cities in three days: Zagreb, Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje, Tirana and Sarajevo.

The background for our visit was scepticism in the region about the credibility of their European perspective. Our purpose was to make clear that their EU perspective is concrete and tangible.

Our message was one of encouragement and reassurance - the countries have a medium to long-term perspective of membership, once the required criteria are met.

I trust the message went across and was well received. Let me now make comments on a few key issues that were topical during our visit to the region and that will be on the agenda in Salzburg when Foreign ministers from

EU 25 meet with counterparts from the region.

Kosovo

President Barroso and I expressed our full support for the work of the UN Special Envoy Mr Ahtisaari. We expect the status talks to be constructive. The goal is a stable, democratic and multiethnic Kosovo for all Kosovans. Our message to Belgrade was that they have to fully engage in status talks and to have a more realistic and constructive attitude.

At the same time, we stressed to the Kosovo-Albanians that protection of minorities and decentralisation measures are key, that reforms remain necessary and that they also have to make forthcoming and proactive proposals during the status talks. In parallel they need to speed up standards implementation.

Whatever the status outcome, it must result in sustainable multi-ethnic Kosovo that meets the highest standards of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It should result in better living conditions for all Kosovans. The future Kosovo must have effective constitutional guarantees and appropriate human rights protection mechanisms for its minority communities.

The EU is bound to play a key role in a post-settlement international civilian and military presence that will exercise appropriate supervision and control of compliance of the provisions of the future status settlement. We are currently preparing for our role, particularly in the field of justice and police as well as the economy. There is currently a Council/ Commission joint mission in Kosovo to look especially at justice, police and rule of law issues.

Serbia

Serbia has a concrete and tangible EU perspective, and it has become ever more concrete with the start of the SAA negotiations. In April last year, the Commission recommended that negotiations on an SAA be opened on the basis that Serbia and Montenegro had achieved significant progress with ICTY, with the transfer of over dozen indictees. However, we said that this improvement should lead to "full cooperation without delay". Full cooperation should lead to the arrest and transfer of Ratko Mladic and also Radovan Karadzic.

Now, nearly a year later, we see that cooperation has in fact deteriorated. There was recently some recovery, but it is still very little. Nearly a year later, the country should have achieved full cooperation.

I shall report to Foreign Ministers in GAERC next Monday (27/2). The Joint Council - Commission Declaration from last September provides a clear legal base. Let me be very clear: if Serbia still fails to achieve full cooperation, we cannot avoid disruption of the negotiations.

On a positive note, it is important that Serbian attitudes towards Mladic, Karadzic and ICTY have changed. The political will now has to be translated into concrete action.

This is a matter of reconciliation and justice, but also of democracy and the rule of law. We must be assured that the Serbian army is fully under civilian democratic control.

Europeanisation of the next generation

It is important the EU works with the region on the Europeanisation of the next and in fact current generation. This means making it cheaper and easier to travel and to offer more scholarships to study in Europe.

On visa facilitation - the EU is asking the countries of the region to deliver a lot; in response we must deliver on our side, not just raise expectations. We must stop the double-talk and make progress on visa facilitation.

I have to admit I feel embarrassed every time a meet a student from the region and hear about the hours spent in line at EU Embassies, the number of documents that have to be provided and the costs incurred for translation of these documents.

The Commission will present draft negotiating mandates for visa facilitation with countries of the Western Balkans during the course of the year. In return, the countries must ensure they have the capacity to reinforce readmission agreements, have or set up reliable visa issuing procedures and border control systems.

Regional Free Trade Area

One of the key challenges ahead is the region’s economic development. We could do more to remove obstacles to trade, production and investment so as to promote economic and social development.

The Western Balkans Communication adopted by the Commission on 27 January identifies concrete steps to that end. We have recently extended the preferential trade measures until 2010. The Commission supports the conclusion of a regional Free Trade Agreement in the region. Today there is a patchwork of 31 bilateral trade agreements. A single set of rules will enhance trade and investments in the region. Technically, one option for establishing the free trade area is to extend the CEFTA. We are seriously considering that possibility.

Another issue for the meeting in Salzburg is the first step to establish a zone of diagonal cumulation of origin between the EU and the countries - this too will encourage trade and investments.

In conclusion, this is a critical year for the Western Balkans. We must together solve single policy and status issues. Thus we can fully move from reconstruction to economic and social development, which really matters for citizens. The Western Balkans is an area where the EU can really make a difference. But fundamentally it is up to the citizens and the leaders of the region to choose a European future and leave the nationalist past behind.

Thank you.