“Serbia preparing for polls and EU candidacy: what is at stake?”

09.02.2012, 10h00 - 13h00, expert roundtable

Participation only upon personal invitation

Serbia is facing eventful times this spring: After EU leaders declined to grant Serbia candidate status last December citing insufficient progress made in resolving outstanding issues with Kosovo, the EU Council in March will be the next possible occasion to approve Belgrade’s bid. Two months later, in early May, general elections will take place in Serbia.
The event aims at analysing the current political landscape in Serbia in the light of upcoming elections and at discussing the impact which the March Council’s decision might have on the poll’s outcome as well as on EU-Serbia relations in general. Among the speakers will be:
• Bozidar Djelic, Former Deputy Prime Minister for EU Integration of Serbia
• Vladimir Todoric, Executiv Director of the think tank “New Policy Centre”, Belgrade
• Myriam Ferran, Head of Serbia unit, DG Enlargement, European Commission
• Robert Cooper, EU Facilitator of the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue
• MEP Knut Fleckenstein, Deputy Chairman of the “Friends of Serbia” Intergroup, European Parliament
• Roland Schäfer, Minister for Political Affairs, Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU

The format is a round table debate with ca. 20-25 invited participants from EU and Serbia under “Chatham House rules” in order to allow an open and constructive exchange of first hand information and political opinion.

Contact: Stefanie.Ricken(at)fes-europe.eu