Serbia must prove its EU commitment in deeds: MEP

(BELGRADE) - Serbia must prove its commitment to joining the European Union in deeds as well as words, particularly in its attitude to Kosovo, the European parliament's rapporteur Jelko Kacin said Sunday.

"The EU is determined to grant a candidate status to Serbia, but Serbia first has to prove itself, not in words but in deeds" regarding implementation of deals reached with Kosovo, a key condition for progress towards a EU membership, Kacin told the regional daily Dnevnik.

Serbia "has three more months to implement what it has agreed in the dialogue with Pristina," Kacin added.

During EU-mediated dialogue between Serbia and Kosovo, which began in March, the two sides agreed to enable freedom of movement and establish an integrated border management system.

However little has been done to turn those agreements into reality.

European leaders on Friday decided to delay until March a decision on giving the green light to Serbia's candidacy for EU membership.

The EU wants to see Belgrade improve its relations with the breakaway Kosovo, whose independence it refuses to accept.

Normalisation of relations with Kosovo is a necessary condition for Belgrade's progress towards EU membership, because none of the Western Balkans' states can approach the 27-member bloc without having fully acomplished regional stability and cooperation, Dnevnik said.

Serbia "has consistently been making the same mistake. It starts political changes... At a minute 12 it makes a minimum step forward and at the same time dramatises what kind of catastrophic consequences would occure in the region if its expectations are not met," Kacin said.

He referred to Belgrade's late appeal to fellow Serbs in northern Kosovo to remove barricades, which have blocked movement of NATO-led peackeepers and member s of the EU police and law mission (EULEX).

On the eve of EU summit on Friday Serbian President Boris Tadic warned that a delay of the EU candidacy could destabilize the region and could prove "too big a test for Serbian society and the young Serbian democracy."

Mainly ethnically Albanian Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008 and has so far been recognised by 77 countries, including most EU nations, despite Belgrade's strong opposition.

Serbia still considers Kosovo to be its southern province, and President Boris Tadic has repeatedly vowed that Belgrade will never give up its claim on Kosovo, considered the cradle of Serbian civilisation and the seat of the powerful Serb Orthodox Church.

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