We should speed up Serbia’s accession process

The non-member states located south of the European Union not only do more for the protection of European borders than many Member States, but they have also made great strides forward on their path toward EU accession. It is time for Europe to recognize this and accelerate the accession process for these countries.

[Blog post by MEP Andor Deli from putitright.eu]

The Hungarian government is not alone in advocating for the accession of reliable partners like Serbia and Macedonia. Although I am an MEP who represents the historical Hungarian community of Serbia, my primary reasons for supporting these countries’ accessions are not emotional.

One simply has to look at the European Commission’s 2016 Report on Serbia to see unbiased facts on the progress the country has made in terms of accession negotiations, economic cooperation and, ultimately, Serbia’s role in tackling illegal migration to the EU.

The report to the European Parliament was presented by Commissioner Johannes Hahn, responsible for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. According to Hahn, Serbia has done quite well with respect to both domestic reforms and international engagement. Additionally, the Report urges the swift adoption of criteria in chapters 23 and 24, which are important for Hungary since they include the implementation of the Minority Action Plan. The remarkable willingness and determination of the Serbian government during the October 27th meeting of the Minority Intergroup in Strasbourg was convincing in terms of their prioritization of the interests of the Hungarian minority.

In November 2016 Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Serbian Prime Minister Alexandar Vučić met in Niš, Serbia. During the joint press conference following the talks, both parties stressed that although economic cooperation dominated their discussions, there was wide agreement on issues such as migration, minorities and EU accession.

Prime Minister Orbán argued that we cannot afford mistakes with respect to migration, and that therefore we should work together with Serbia in managing and containing it. Without Serbian assistance, I believe we would have had a much more difficult time protecting our borders against illegal migration. Bearing in mind that the Hungarian border is also the Schengen frontier, Serbia valiantly served EU interests and demonstrated its absolute loyalty to the values of the Union.

However, this is not merely about Hungary nor only in regards to Serbia’s advancement. If the accession process were to slow down, there is a real threat that Serbians will come to see the EU as a train which they cannot board. Euroscepticism may rise in our southern neighbor and we, eventually, may find ourselves with a Serbia that prefers to stay out. As we observe the 100^th anniversary of World War I, those knowledgeable about history will recall how events in the Balkans can have far-reaching impact on the plight of the continent and why it is so important that the region become integrated into the European community.

Serbia is eager to join the European Union. Why should it wait much longer?