The European Commission maintains its recommendation that Serbia be granted candidate status in December, and Montenegro the date for negotiations, despite resistance from some countries, it was announced Friday at the headquarters of the European Union.

The Commission stands firmly behind the recommendations that it made in October, Peter Stano, spokesman for the European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fuele, said at a press conference, recalling that on October 12, the EC recommended candidate status for Serbia and setting the date for negotiations with Montenegro.

Stano issued this statement after the Podgorica daily Vijesti published a French-German "white paper", or unofficial proposal, drafted before the Commission delivered its opinion, which states that the decision on further integration of Serbia and Montenegro should be postponed.

However, for that to happen, the European Council, which is made up of representatives from all 27 EU member-states, would have to unanimously adopt the recommendations of the Commission at its meeting scheduled for the beginning of December.

The "white paper" allegedly recommends that the Council postpone its decision on the recommendations to a later date, until it is seen whether reforms are being implemented in practice. We respect the views of member-countries, but do not comment on them, Stano said in a statement to Tanjug.

He explained that Fuele is carrying out intense diplomatic activity to explain the Commission's stand to the member-countries. Fuele visited The Hague Thursday, is in Prague Friday, and on Monday will be in Serbia to take part in the summit of the Sarajevo Process. a regional coordinating body that addresses the problems of refugees from the wars of the nineties.