Bozidar Djelic, Serbia’s Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration, resigned from the post after Brussels delayed the decision over the country’s EU bid. Djelic told reporters in Brussels that Friday’s decision of the European Council to examine Serbia’s candidacy bid in March “was not what Serbia had expected.”

Despite strong pressure from other EU countries, the Netherlands has refused to agree to Bulgaria and Romania joining the open border Schengen zone. The two countries have not still done enough to combat corruption and organized crime, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. The EU will consider the question again …

A decision by the European Union on whether to grant Serbia candidate status will be taken by EU foreign ministers in February, EU president Herman Van Rompuy said Friday.