The European Parliament (EP) Foreign Affairs Committee supported Thursday the draft resolution on Serbia's European integration urging approval of Serbia's EU candidate status in March.

The draft resolution was presented by EP Rapporteur for Serbia Jelko Kacin, who said that Serbia deserves to obtain both the EU candidate status and a date for the beginning of the accession talks. Practically none of the Committee members expressed misgivings about Serbia's candidate status, although certain MPs were reserved in terms of the data of the negotiations.

MP Doris Pack said during the debate that it is understandable that Germany and a few more countries postponed Serbia's candidate status in December after their soldiers in north Kosovo were attacked. Serbia should be granted the candidate status, but no date for the beginning of talks, Pack said.

Kacin said that if the EU wants to see genuine progress in Serbia, it should launch the accession talks as soon as possible and open Chapters 23 and 24 addressing judiciary and human rights. Kacin's recommendations were accepted in principle by a great majority of the MPs.

MP Eduard Kukan, who chairs the EP Friendship Group with Serbia, told journalists after the debate that he was pleasantly surprised by the pro-Serbian stand of his colleagues, I am a total optimist that Serbia will get the EU candidate status in May, Kukan said.

After the debate, Kacin told journalists that he was satisfied with the reception of the draft resolution. I expect that the Committee will adopt the amended text of the resolution on March 1 as that would have a positive effect on the European Council, which is to decide on Serbia's candidacy on the same day, he said.

Serbia should now commit to implementation of the agreements reached in the dialogue with Pristina so far, Kacin said. The members of the Committee will submit amendments to the draft resolution by the end of the month and discuss them on February 29. The final version will be adopted on March 1.