February 28 (SeeNews) - The European Parliament said on Tuesday it has adopted a resolution calling on Serbia to align its foreign policy with the EU’s, including its policy on Russia, to ensure judicial independence in practice and to revise its Constitution.
Serbia has to continue to put special emphasis on strengthening the rule of law in 2017, as corruption and organised crime still represent an obstacle to the country’s democratic, social and economic development, the rapporteur on Serbia, David McAllister, said, as quoted in a statement published on the website of the European Parliament.
"Serbia is on its path towards the EU. The Serbian government is tackling the challenges of creating jobs, enhancing competitiveness and boosting growth. Important economic reforms have been adopted to strengthen the business environment in the country," McAllister said in the statement.
The resolution on Serbia welcomes the opening of negotiations on several chapters in 2016 including Chapter 23 - Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Chapter 24 Justice, Freedom and Security which are key to the process.
On Monday, Serbian prime minister Aleksandar Vucic said the country has started talks on Chapter 26 - Education and Culture and Chapter 20 - Enterprise and Industrial Policy.
Belgrade has so far started talks on eight out of the 35 chapters of EU law and has closed negotiations on two.