The Sector for European Integration in the Area of the Judiciary

 

The Sector for European Integration in the Area of the Judiciary is responsible for:

-          Monitoring the implementation of the European integration programs in the judicial area;

-          Coordinating activities and monitoring the fulfillment of obligations in the judicial area regarding the accession of the Republic of Serbia to the EU, including forthcoming negotiations for the EU membership;

-          Monitoring the fulfillment of obligations in the area of the judiciary concerning the European partnership, and other strategic EU-accession related documents;

-          Coordinating and drafting reports, opinions and information in the judicial area regarding the EU accession process;

-          Coordinating the participation in the work of subgroups of the Expert Group of the Coordination Body for EU accession process concerning the judiciary;

-          Coordination and participation in the work of the Subgroup 23: Judiciary and Basic Rights;

-          Participation in the translation of the Acquis communautaire to Serbian, and expert copy editing of the translation of the EU judicial regulations;

-          Cooperation  with judicial institutions, other public authorities, associations, EU institutions, international organizations, and other international subjects, and any other activities within the purview of the Sector;

On 22 April 2013, the European Commission recommended to the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU Member States the opening of accession negotiations with the Republic of Serbia.

On 25 June 2013, the Foreign Affairs Council of the EU Member States unanimously recommended to the European Council to start negotiations with Serbia by January 2014, at the latest, and that the European Commission should draft the negotiating framework and begin an analytical review of the approximation of the Serbian legislation to the EU legislation.

The Council of the European Union decided on 28 June 2013 to give “green light” and open accession negotiations with Serbia and that the first Inter-Governmental Conference be held not later than January 2014.

The analytical review of legislation (screening) began on 25 September 2013, when screening for Chapter 23 “Judiciary and Fundamental Rights” was held in Brussels.

The accession negotiations of the Republic of Serbia with the European Union were officially opened with the Inter-Governmental Conference on 21 January 2014 in Brussels.