Highlights

Belgrade, the capital of Serbia
© Fotolia

The General Affairs Council on 28 February 2012 agreed to recommend that candidate country status be granted to Serbia. The decision was taken following an examination and confirmation by the Council that the Republic of Serbia fulfilled the criteria set out by the European Council in December 2011. Ministers now look "forward to the confirmation by the March European Council".

"Serbia is now on its way back to our European family," said Nicolai Wammen, Danish Minister for European Affairs.

Serbia applied for EU membership on 22 December 2009. It became a potential candidate country for EU accession following the decisions taken at the Thessaloniki Summit in June 2003. This was later confirmed on several occasions by the EU.

Serbia already has close ties with the EU. The Union is the country's main trading partner and  visa liberalisation for Serbian citizens travelling to the Schengen area entered into force on 19 December 2009, making it easier to establish contacts across borders.

A Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia was signed on 29 April 2008, about two months after the EU Council adopted a revised European Partnership for Serbia which sets out priorities for the country's European perspective.

More information:
Council conclusions (pdf)
Press conference (video)
Events illustrating the relations between the EU and Serbia (videos)