Enlargement and cooperation: meeting between EESC President and the Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia

On 11 March Georges Dassis, President of the European Economic and Social Committee, received the Head of the Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union, H.E. Ambassador Duško Lopandić.

The meeting, which took place in a cordial atmosphere, was an opportunity to take stock of relations between the EESC and the civil society organisations of Serbia, in particular in connection with the activities of the EU-Serbia Joint Consultative Committee. In February 2016, the Committee adopted an opinion on EU Enlargement Strategy, reaffirming its commitment to the fundamental principles of the accession process — respect for the rule of law and citizens’ rights, the functioning of democratic institutions and economic development — but also stressing the need to ensure the meaningful participation of civil society organisations in this process.

The EESC President expressed his satisfaction that the work of the EU-Serbia Civil Society Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) had begun, with an excellent understanding between the two parties. He informed H.E. Ambassador Lopandić of the EESC's wish to continue this in-depth dialogue - which was all the more necessary, given that there were a number of issues of current concern affecting both the EU and Serbia, such as the influx of refugees.