Accession of Serbia To The European Union - Key Events in Serbia Accession To EU

Key Events in Serbia Accession To EU

• 1997: Regional Approach. The EU Council of Ministers establishes political and economic conditionality for the development of bilateral relations.
• 1999: The EU proposes the new Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) for five countries of Southeastern Europe, including Serbia.
• 2000 Oct-5: Overthrow of Slobodan Milošević.
• 2000 Nov: Serbia to benefit from Autonomous Trade Preferences from the EU.
• 2001: First year of the new CARDS programme specifically designed for the SAP countries.
• 2001 Jun: Feira European Council states that all the SAP countries are "potential candidates" for EU membership.
• 2001 Jul: Start of the EU-FRY Consultative Task Force.
• 2002 Mar: Signature of the Belgrade Agreement on a State Union of Serbia and Montenegro.
• 2003 Jun: At Thessaloniki Summit, the SAP is confirmed as the EU policy for the Western Balkans. The EU perspective for these countries is confirmed.
• 2003 Jul: EU Enhanced Permanent Dialogue with Serbia and Montenegro replaces the format of the Consultative Task Force
• 2004 Jun: Council decision on the European Partnership for Serbia and Montenegro, updated in January 2006.
• 2004 Oct: Council conclusions open up a process for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement.
• 2005 Oct: Negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement are launched.
• 2006-May-3: SAA negotiations called off due to lack of progress on cooperation with the ICTY.
• 2006-May-21: Montenegro declares independence.
• 2006-Jun-15: The Government of Serbia officially recognises Montenegro as an independent state.
• 2006 Jun: Following the declaration of independence of Montenegro, Serbia becomes the legal successor to the State Union.
• 2006 Oct: Parliament of Serbia adopts a new Constitution, which is confirmed by referendum.
• 2007-June-13: SAA negotiations with Serbia resumed, following a clear commitment by the country to achieve full cooperation with the ICTY.
• 2007-Nov-01: Serbia's SAA is initialed.
• 2008-Jan-01: Entry into force of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement between Serbia and the EU.
• 2008-Feb-17: Assembly of Kosovo declares independence.
• 2008-Feb-18: Council of the EU - Decision on the principles, priorities and conditions contained in the European Partnership with Serbia including Kosovo.
• 2008-Apr-29: Serbia's SAA and Interim Agreement (IA) are signed in Luxembourg.
• 2008-May-07: Commissioner Barrot hands over the Road Map on Visa Liberalisation, set up with the aim of achieving a visa-free regime for Serbian citizens wishing to travel to Schengen countries.
• 2008-July-21: War crime indictee Radovan Karadžić is arrested.
• 2008-Sep-09: SAA and IA ratified by National Assembly of Serbia.
• 2008-Sep-15: Netherlands freezes SAA and trade part of SAA.
• 2008-Oct-16: Serbian government unilaterally decided to begin with implementation of trade part of Interim Trade agreement with EU starting 1 January 2009.
• 2009-Jan-01: Serbia implements Interim Trade Agreement with the EU.
• 2009-Nov-30: European Commission decides to put Serbia on White Schengen list.
• 2009-Dec-07: European Commission decides to implement Interim Trade agreement with Serbia.
• 2009-Dec-19: Visa-free regime for Serbia is put into force.
• 2009-Dec-22: Serbia officially applies for membership in the European Union.
• 2010-Feb-01: Interim agreement entry into force.
• 2010-Jun-14: European Commission decides to start ratification of SAA.
• 2010-Oct-25: Council of the EU forwards Serbia's application for EU membership to the European commission.
• 2010-Nov-24: European Commission presents Legislative questionnaire to applicant; the questionnaire contains 2,483 questions and subquestions.
• 2011-Jan-19: European Parliament ratifies Serbia's SAA.
• 2011-Jan-31: Serbia responds to EU questionnaire.
• 2011-May-26: War fugitive Ratko Mladić arrested in Lazarevo in Northern Serbia.
• 2011-May-31: Former Bosnian Serb army chief Ratko Mladić is extradited to the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague.
• 2011-July-20: War fugitive Goran Hadžić, the last fugitive indicted by the ICTY, is arrested, signaling the final hurdle to Serbia's candidate status.
• 2011-July-22: Former Croatian Serbs army chief Goran Hadžić is extradited to the UN's International Criminal Tribunal.
• 2011-Oct-12: European Commission has recommended that Serbia be granted an official EU candidate status.
• 2012-Mar-01: European Council grants Serbia official candidate status for EU membership.