After EU member states recognised Montenegro's independence, the EC drafted guidelines for separate negotiations with Montenegro as an independent state, while the mandate for Serbia was only amended as it is the legal successor to the state union of Serbia and Montenegro.
Today's decision was adopted without discussion by the ministers of justice and the interior. Earlier it had been announced that the Council would confirm the separate mandates only in the autumn.
The EU in May suspended negotiations on an SAA with the then state union of Serbia and Montenegro over insufficient cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal.
The negotiations were held according to the two-track principle because at that time Serbia and Montenegro had different economic systems. That now enables Montenegro to resume the negotiations based on the results achieved.
Negotiations with Serbia will resume only when it meets the condition of full cooperation with the UN court.