EU aiming to lift travel restrictions on Serbs in 2010 

"There has been significant progress in border security management by the Serbian authorities," said Josep Lloveras, head of the EU delegation in Belgrade, adding that in view of these achievements, Brussels was ready to propose including Serbia in the EU's so-called Schengen 'White List' of trusted foreign countries.

Lloveras' statements confirm a recent report issued by the European Stability Initiative, an influential research institute, which in its latest May scorecard said Serbia was meeting most of the requirements for inclusion on the Schengen White List. The report also gave the green light for citizens of Macedonia and Montenegro to enter the Schengen area.

If accepted by EU member states, this means Serbs would be able to enter the EU's Schengen visa-free travel zone, even though the country is not a member of the EU, as early as 2010, Lloveras said.

The first step is a formal legislative proposal from the Commission, which would need the approval of EU member states represented in the EU Council of Ministers. On this matter, the 27 EU member states can decide by a qualified majority rather than by unanimity, Lloveras said, increasing the chances of reluctance from Austria and the Netherlands – which still oppose the measure - being overcome. A proposal is expected in the course of 2010, Lloveras said.

However, it is still not clear how ethnic Albanians from Kosovo will be treated under the visa liberalisation regime, as Kosovo is still considered part of Serbia by Belgrade (EurActiv 12/05/09). Indeed, Lloveras acknowledged that while much had been done, obstacles remained. "It is still a work in progress," he said.

The issue is likely to be in the agenda of the next EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on 27 July.

Danube by bike tour

At the same time, the European Commission is multiplying initiatives to bring the EU and Serbia closer together.

Last week, the first Danube-by-bike tour  saw 400 participants from all over Europe cycle to Belgrade in a five-day mini-tour. Departing from Budapest or Bucharest, the cyclists met in the Serbian capital for the closing event on Saturday (27 June).

The European Commission funded the initiative with the aim of making it a regular fixture in years to come. "It is an enormous opportunity to link up with Europe," said Bozidar Djelić, the Serbian deputy prime minister for European integration. He said the Serbian government might be interested in co-financing the next edition of the tour.

Another development saw EU Science and Research Commissioner Janez Potočnik meet with Serbian researchers on 29 June in Belgrade. The commissioner encouraged them to fully integrate the European Research Area by developing joint programmes and better infrastructure, and improving mobility of experts and knowledge transfer.