December, 2011

• 12 December

  Serbian Deputy PM quits over EU candidacy

  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.”

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• 9 December

  The Netherlands might say ‘no’ to Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen bid in March

  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 …

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• 9 December

  Herman Van Rompuy announced that decision on Serbia’s EU bid will be taken in February

  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. 

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• 9 December

  Greece keeps same position on name dispute with neighbour Macedonia

  Greece has called on the Macedonian government to remain dedicated to the negotiations about the name dispute.

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• 9 December

  Russia threatens war if Georgia enters NATO

  Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned of a repetition of its 2008 war with Georgia if the South Caucasus state joins NATO. Speaking at a news conference after the NATO-Russia Council in Brussels on Thursday, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had warned NATO foreign ministers against “pushing the …

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• 9 December

  Bulgaria supports Kosovo at NATO Ministerial

  Bulgaria has stressed its adherence to the principled position of NATO on preserving Kosovo’s territorial integrity, according to the speech of the Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov at the annual meeting of the Alliance member states’ top diplomats. “The general principled agreement for the territorial integrity of Kosovo was among …

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• 9 December

  Serbia’s EU candidacy postponed until March 2012

  EU leaders are to postpone a decision to grant Serbia candidate status for the next summit in March, according to the draft conclusions of the European Council leaked overnight. According to the draft conclusions for the summit on Friday, Serbia may obtain EU candidacy in March when EU

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• 9 December

  Croatia signed the EU Accession Treaty

  European leaders hail historic opportunity for Croatia and say Zagreb’s persistence vindicates enlargement policy; Croat President says country needs ‘more Europe, not less’. Croatia signed its EU accession treaty on Friday in Brussels, aiming to become the European club’s 28th member state on July 1, 2013.

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• 9 December

  Montenegro will start EU talks in June 2012

  Negotiations on membership with Montenegro will start in June 2012, according to the draft conclusions of the European Council. According to the leaked draft conclusions that the European Council will adopt on Friday, accession

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• 8 December

  Little chances of progress in talks on Bulgaria, Romania’s Schengen entry

  Little movement is expected in a discussion on Bulgaria’s and Romania’s application to join the Schengen area during next week’s meeting of the European Union’s interior ministers. The Dutch government wants to wait for an interim report by the European Commission (EC) in February before lifting its objections. The government …

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