Press Release: President Barroso meets Serbian Prime Minister Dačić / Serbia begins EU membership talks in Brussels

on 21 January 2014 with Serbian Prime Minister, Mr Ivica Dačić and First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Aleksandar Vučić, ahead of the first Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) between the European Union and Serbia.

Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle also participated in the first EU-Serbia Accession Conference.

In line with the June 2013 European Council decision to open accession negotiation with Serbia, the General Affairs Council adopted on 17 December 2013 the negotiating framework for Serbia’s accession negotiations and decided that the first IGC would take place in January 2014.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Boosting Serbia’s and Kosovo’s European future http://www.europeansources.info/record/speech-boosting-serbias-and-kosovos-european-future/

ESO: Background information: Serbia: accession negotiations set to start http://www.europeansources.info/record/serbia-accession-negotiations-set-to-start/

European Commission: RAPID: Memo, MEMO/14/41: EU-Serbia: Important milestone in accession process http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-41_en.pdf

BBC News, 21.01.2014: Serbia begins EU membership talks in Brussels http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25824520

Deutsche Welle, 20.01.14: Serbia's long path to EU accession http://www.dw.de/serbias-long-path-to-eu-accession/a-17374164?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

Deutsche Welle [Opinion], 21.01.14: 'Bad guy' knocking at the EU's door http://dw.de/p/1AtxJ

BBC News, 21.01.14: Serbia transforming from pariah to EU partner http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25808463

Council of the European Union: Press Release, PRES/14/15: First Accession Conference with Serbia http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/EN/genaff/140676.pdf

EUObserver, 21.01.14: Serbia starts EU membership talks http://euobserver.com/enlargement/122809

European Council: Press Release, PRES/14/24: Remarks by President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy after his meeting with Prime Minister of Serbia Ivica Dačić http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cms_data/docs/pressdata/en/ec/140716.pdf

EurActiv, 22.01.14: Kosovo’s spectre looms over EU-Serbia talks http://www.euractiv.com/serbia/kosovo-spectre-looms-eu-serbia-n-news-532916

BBC News [Video], 21.01.14: Serbia begins EU membership talks http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-25827043

Deutsche Welle, 21.01.14: Serbia kicks off EU membership talks, sets 2020 as target for completion http://dw.de/p/1AuMs

Euronews, 21.01.14: Serbia’s politicians in Brussels to kick-off talks on joining EU http://www.euronews.com/2014/01/21/serbia-s-politicians-in-brussels-to-kick-off-talks-on-joining-eu/

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