President of the European Council Herman van Rompuy said in Brussels late on Monday that the arrest of Ratko Mladić was “a turning point”. It was “an important step towards Serbia’s accession to the European Union”, said he.

Turkish President Abdullah Gül has said that Turkey’s accession to the European Union is a strategic imperative for the European integration project, which he said will no doubt increase the 27-nation bloc’s efficiency, relevance and credibility.

Members of the European Parliament will debate on Tuesday the extension of Europe’s borderless Schengen zone to the newest members of the EU club, Bulgaria and Romania. The MEPs will vote on Wednesday.