The European Commission (EC), in its annual report on the progress made by EU hopefuls, commended Serbia on improving relations with Pristina, but it also called on the country to invest greater efforts in the search for remaining International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) fugitives.

In the report that will be issued on Monday, the EC notes that Serbia has shown some positive results in fighting organised crime, but it also states that more effort needs to be invested in judiciary and administration reform, reported Reuters news agency, which had a chance to review to the report draft.

The EC requires Serbia to achieve full cooperation with the ICTY and to demonstrate a more constructive approach towards Kosovo's participation in the regional trade and cooperation. In the report, the EC also calls on the Belgrade authorities to recognise the customs stamps of the Kosovo interim institutions.

When it comes to Kosovo-Metohija, the EC report notes that the authorities in the province have to invest more effort in fighting organised crime, money laundry and corruption. The report states that Kosovo is still facing major challenges in the field of public administration reform and the rule of law.

The EC also notes that freedom of expression in Kosovo is not guaranteed in practice.

Degert: Report of European Commission as roadmap

EU Ambassador to Serbia Vincent Degert stated that the European Commission (EC) questionnaire, which will be delivered to Belgrade from Brussels on November 24, will comprise 2,400 questions to which Serbia should provide complete and truthful answers.

In an interview for the Saturday edition of the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti, Degert said that the EC report on Serbia's progress, which will be presented on November 9, will show that the country has made improvements in certain fields, but the areas that recorded insufficient progress will also be clearly indicated.

The report should serve as a roadmap for the government, as it will show what has been done and what remains to be done, Degert said. Commenting on the EC questionnaire, Degert explained that the questions will be divided into the usual three sections - politics, economy and judiciary adjustment to EU standards. Deger noted that the EU will not require Serbia to provide an answer regarding the Kosovo issue.

The questionnaire is designed on the basis of a status-neutral approach, just like in the case of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the ambassador noted and added that the same principles used in the SAA will be implemented in the questionnaire.