French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday addressed Turkey’s bid to join the EU by saying that the organization “must first unite the European family”. “Removing reservations” toward Turkey’s European perspective would not make Europe’s tasks easier in the current crisis, he was quoted as saying.

The potential accession of Bulgaria and Romania to the Schengen Agreement may not be discussed during the upcoming Justice and Home Affairs Council sitting, according to a high-level EU diplomat.

Serbian President Boris Tadić told Italian journalists on Monday in Trieste that he hopes Serbia will become a candidate for EU membership in March. But that even if the decision is postponed once again, said he, the country will not give up on its pro-European orientation.