SERBIA’S BID to join the EU may progress next week as foreign ministers discuss whether they should ask the European Commission to form an opinion on the country’s membership application, a key hurdle in the accession process.
The question is sensitive for the EU authorities as suspected war criminals such as former Bosnian Serb military leader Ratko Mladic and former Croatian Serb leader Goran Hadzic are still at large.
Serbia’s declared commitment to the capture of these men is questioned by its critics, although President Boris Tadic insists his administration is doing all in its power to bring them to justice.
Mr Tadic has shown a measure of flexibility to the international community by agreeing six weeks ago to enter talks on the status of its former province Kosovo.
This move was welcomed by EU member states, most of whom now want to seek an opinion from the commission on the Serbian application when they gather in Luxembourg on Monday for their monthly meeting.
However, the Netherlands is holding out due to concern that Serbia is not fully co-operating with the UN war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Ireland is generally supportive of the Serbian application, but the Government hardened its stance in recent days as it came under pressure from campaigners and the Bosnian community not to ratify an EU association agreement with Serbia.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin now backs Dutch demands to tie further progress on foot of the request to the commission with Belgrade’s full compliance with its international obligations.
While Serbia still refuses to recognise Kosovo’s independence, European diplomats argue that conciliatory steps should be encouraged as ultimately EU membership for western Balkan countries is the key to regional stability.
Accession talks cannot start in earnest until the commission issues a favourable opinion.
It is open to Belgium’s rotating presidency of the EU to call a vote of ministers on Monday, one it would be certain to win. However, Belgium is still campaigning for a unanimous decision.
Diplomats are drafting a compromise statement calling for an opinion from the commission while saying there should be no further steps in the accession process until Serbia co-operates fully with the tribunal. Some versions say the best demonstration of such co-operation would be the arrest of Mr Mladic and Mr Hadzic.
Ireland would back such statements if a consensus emerged, it is understood.