Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Vincent Degert has said it is possible for Serbia not to be granted the status of a candidate for EU membership by the end of the year.

Everything is in Serbia's hands, he noted. It is mid-March already and the European Commission's opinion, which is critical in getting the status, is due in October, Degert told the Blic daily, adding that he hopes the government is going to work hard in that period.

Serbia might be required to conduct certain reforms in order to get the status, he remarked.

There are issues besides internal reforms, like the cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, so there is no time to waste, Degert stressed.

He stated that the newly reformed government should get to work immediately.