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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

Level of desired internal reforms is higher today than during earlier EU enlargements

Belgrade/Copenhagen, 28 June 2023

Minister for European Integration Tanja Miscevic participated today in the international conference marking the 30th anniversary of the Copenhagen criteria, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, in cooperation with the Danish organisation "Think Tank Europe".

At the meeting in Copenhagen, she pointed out that the current candidate states for membership in the European Union do not start from the same level of preparedness as was the case 30 years ago, stressing that the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria is measured more concretely today than it was either in the case of earlier candidate states.

She said that the level of desired internal reforms is far higher than the one required during earlier EU enlargements, adding that today, along with meeting the criteria and implementing the reform process, we are also facing the issue of the capacity of the Union itself to receive new members.

On the sidelines of the meeting, she met with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark Lars Løkke Rasmussen, as well as with representatives of Ukraine and Moldova, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olha Stefanishyna and Deputy Prime Minister of Moldova and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Nicolae Popescu.

At the meeting of the European Council in Copenhagen held in June 1993, the heads of state and government of the member states of the European Union agreed to admit all interested associated states to EU membership.

It was agreed that full membership can be entered by those countries that fulfill the conditions that are based on the key values of the Union and that translate those values into measurable criteria.