Serbia is poised to get EU candidate status after Romania withdrew its objections to the decision.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...world-europe-17225415

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...world-europe-17228551

Did the UK get a chance to object?

No jobs? Be prepared to be swamped with cheap labour, once again.

/// European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Serbia's candidacy "shows that the EU remains very attractive ... [because it and other countries] want to join this project of freedom, responsibility and solidarity".///

And numerous monetary bail-outs, if they get into financial difficulties.

[craft1948]

I thought the country had to prove certain financial criteria before being admitted to membership.

[bazwillrun]

As long as the EUSSR gets control of the country and its people thats all they care about, meeting certain criteria is just a smokescreen.

Greece got in, Italy got in, its a club that needs members to survive, make it too difficult and theyre shooting themselves in the foot.

Its a political dream to build yet another european empire that goes lumbering on until its demise, not if but when, at some point in the future, just like all the ones before.

""shows that the EU remains very attractive ... [because it and other countries] want to join this project of freedom, responsibility and solidarity""

one of the most laughable statements to ever come out of the rectum of the eussr, freedom to what ? have your country ruled by unelected people, laws that your country hasnt made foisted on you, taxes levied from outside your country........what country ? it wont exist if the eussr has its way.

and once they have "harmonised" your wonderful new country, youl finally realise what an almight mistake youve made

but the upside is you can rake in billions whilst you can, paid for by the UK and others

[rov1100]

Hopefully because we don't adhere to the Scgengen Agreement that allows free travel across borders we can exclude Serbians for a period of time.

http://en.wikipedia.o...ki/Schengen_Agreement

[rojash]

"To join the EU a country must meet the Copenhagen criteria, defined at the 1993 Copenhagen European Council. These require a stable democracy that respects human rights and the rule of law; a functioning market economy capable of competition within the EU; and the acceptance of the obligations of membership, including EU law."

Becoming a candidate is by no means the same as becoming a member

[Nibble]

rov, given the time that Bulgaria & Romania have been Member States of the EU, but not parties of the Schengen Agreement, ie. member of EU since 2007, but not in Schengen any time soon!, I can't see Serbia being welcomed into Schengen soon.

At present, this is the position of both Bulgaria & Romania re Schengen

http://www.eubusiness.../summit-schengen.fi9/

Serbia IS a long way from this point, and probably will remain so, due to dodgy police/judiciary/corruption, etc endemic in the country..

[Old_Geezer]

No problem; they can take our place.

[sandyRoe]

If Serbia was ever admitted it would sound the death knell on Turkey's hopes of joining.
Remembering Srebrenica, it's clear that the Serbs don't like Muslims.

[jake-the-peg]

Yes it's gone awfully quiet about Turkey hasn't it?

I wonder what happened to the Conserative friends of Turkey Group

http://www.cfot.org.uk/

I see William Hague is still on their front page.

Not really a realistic prospect of Turkey I wouldn't say Serbia possibly but I can't see them being allowed into the inner sanctum of the Euro.


Anybody else see David Cameron complaining that the rest of the EU were ignoring him?

You don't say David - I can't imagine why that might be

[Brenden]

Perhaps Turkey is busy cosying up the the Muslim Brotherhood JTP

[d9f1c7]

"I thought the country had to prove certain financial criteria before being admitted to membership."

Forgive me craft, I just love the niaivity of that statement!

Yes there are "strict" financial terms, only 2 countries have ever qualified under the original rules to set up the Euro one is Germany and the other is the UK. Ironically the UK did not join. The reason the Eurozone is on the verge of collapse is because they ignore their own rules and let in a load of complete basket cases. Serbia will be no different. Until we start running the fiscals on an economic basis rather than for political expediency, the Eurozone will always be vulnerable to this sort of thing.

They's fudge the rule for the Serbs like many before.

Serbian Mafia comming to town near you!

[FredPuli43]

Why has Serbia got more chance than Turkey, if it has, of joining the EU ? Turkey has been attempting for ages and trying everything it can think of to get support from anybody and everybody who'll listen, and the answer is still 'no'.

[New Judge]

“Becoming a candidate is by no means the same as becoming a member”

Quite true, rojash. So show me a country which became a candidate, but which was turned down for membership.

It has gone a bit quiet on Turkey, jake, but not that quiet. Yesterday it was announced that the UK (via the EU, natch) is to contribute £80m to improve Turkey’s sewage system:

http://www.turkeycent...nations-sewer-system/

This is to enable them to improve their facilities to meet EU standards. So now we are paying not only to improve the infrastructure of EU member states, but also to improve that of “pre-candidate” states. Meanwhile, of course, “customers” of the water companies in the UK have had to pay increased bills to improve our facilities. No such EU largesse for them.

As a matter of interest all new member states must undertake to adopt the euro. The Maastricht Treaty allowed opt outs for member states at the time it was signed, but new members must agree to adopt the single currency.

Do we really need any more potless “candidates”? Answers on a postcard please.

[abstibus]

Which wanted war criminal did they turn in? When Ante Gotovina was arrested, Croatia, quite coincidentally of course, was allowed to join the queue.