Enlargement of the European Union

A "reform action group" will be convened on Dec. 11 in a bid to coordinate future moves to harmonize Turkey's legislation with EU standards, amid the recent energization of Ankara's EU accession process. 

The European Union has provided a commitment to Ankara to launch necessary procedures on five accession chapters whose opening is currently under veto by Greek Cyprus, in a bid to deliver on promises recently given to Turkey, the Hürriyet Daily News has learned. 

Serbia will open the first two chapters in its EU accession talks by the end of the year and the next two in early 2016.

German Ambassador to Serbia Axel Dittmann announced this on Wednesday.

EU leaders will try to reset relations with Turkey at a summit this year with President Tayyip Erdo?an, the EU's official in charge of enlargement said, barely a week after Brussels sharply criticised Ankara's human rights record.

The European Commission's progress report on Serbia states that the country "remains actively committed to the strategic goal of EU accession."

The EU enlargement process covering the Western Balkans and Turkey is key to strengthened economic and political stability in the region, the European Commission said on Tuesday as it adopted its annual Enlargement Package.

The package of annual reports on progress of the EU candidate states will be presented at the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

This was announced by the EP press office on Monday.

A European Commission report on Turkey, held back until after the general election on Nov. 1 accuses Ankara of backsliding on the rule of law, freedom of expression and judicial independence. 

EC spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said that the content of Chapter 35 of accession negotiations with Serbia would be decided by EU member-countries.

European Commission (EC) spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic said Tuesday that the content of Chapter 35 of accession negotiations with Serbia would be decided by EU member-countries and the EC had already had their part of the job done.

Serbia will open Chapters 23 and 24, concerning the rule of law, in the early phase of its EU accession negotiations, most likely early next year.