16Oct2015

Approving of Action Plan and the completion of preparations for opening negotiations on Chapter 24 (Justice, freedom and security)

At the meeting held on 16 October 2015, meeting participants were addressed by Tanja Miščević, Head of the negotiating team for negotiations on the of the Negotiating Group on justice, freedom and security. Miščević said that she expects that after the European Commission, the EU member states will approve Action Plan for Chapter 24 and submit proposals for negotiating positions. Speaking of further involvement of the CSOs in negotiating process, Miščević pointed out that guideline for involving civil society already has been prepared and that is expected to be approvedby Serbian Government.

Mr Nikolić highlighted that, unlikely of previous, this Action Plan contains systematized activities and that vast of changes were conditioned byincreased migrant flows. Namely, the European Commission᾽s key condition for approval of the Action Plan  for Chapter 24 were urgent preparation of the Operational Plans for Reaction under the increased migrant flows and draft Law on Asylum. Nikolić said that he hopes that EU᾽s financial support will not fail due to the fact that estimated costs for the implementation of the Action Plan are over 26 million Euros.

In the second part of the meeting, CSOs representatives discussed with representatives of the Ministry of Interior and Commissariat for Refugees about possible scenarios in the conditions of increased migrant flows and their reaction plans in such conditions.

At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to organize two additional meetings by the end of this year. Topic of the first meeting will be cost estimate for implementation of the Action Plan while at the second discussion will be about the civil society role in the Action Plan impact assessment.

Public Policy Research Centre, as a member of Working Group for Chapter 24, at the meeting was represented by mr Ivona Lađevac, Coordinator and Marija Stanković, Junior Coordinator.