Despite the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the most demanding phase on Serbian path to full EU membership keeps going. How to ensure quality control of baby food, recognition of Serbian diplomas in the EU, open small business in Vienna or Frankfurt if you are Serbian citizen, safeguard transplantation of hearts for patients, or transport medical waste after operation. These everyday dilemmas do not disappear, even in the circumstances of Covid-19 and they are crucial part of negotiation for entering the EU.
After the opening of accession negotiations, it includes the harmonisation of the national laws with Union legislation and the conduct of the negotiations themselves. But Serbia is not alone in this challenging route. Since January 2019, the EU-funded PLAC III project is providing support to Serbian Government in close cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, the Negotiation Team for Accession and national institutions.
European standards for concrete benefits of Serbian citizens
The main goal of Serbia’s accession to the EU is that European standards would gradually becoming closer to all Serbian citizens for their own benefit, also through the support of the PLAC III project. That involves providing a legal basis for the European standards in all spheres of life and work in Serbia – from financial and market regulations, health and energy to environmental protection and food safety. The project also assists in the accession negotiations through seminars, study tours, workshops and trainings organised.
Regardless of extraordinary pandemic circumstances, results achieved by the PLAC III project during the first 16 months of its actual implementation were immense. In areas related to 9 negotiation chapters 40 EU legal acts were transposed, 109 of national laws were analysed, 79 laws drafted in support of 67 highly professional experts from the EU.
To put these numbers more concretely, assistance was provided for:
- high level of food protection, including products intended for feeding and sleeping of infants and children;
- mutual recognition of professional qualifications and diplomas;
- making easier for entrepreneurs to set up businesses and provide services in the EU in areas crucial for the country’s economy: trade, tourism, construction;
- food labelling in the aim of delivering complete information to consumers;
- quality of drinking water to citizens;
- safety standards and inspection of transplantation of human organs, cells and tissues;
- quality of natural mineral waters and spring waters;
- state aid control that enables free and fair, competition, better market conditions and granting subsidies;
- transport of medical and hazardous waste;
- opening new technological parks in Serbia, etc.
In addition, 17 public events of various types were organized with some 650 participants: 13 workshops organized for beneficiaries' institutions, two media briefings, two conferences and a study trip to Slovenia (in March this year).
For more information see infographics of the project