After the error was noticed, the statement was withdrawn very quickly.
Reporters accredited in Brussels received by e-mail at 16.45 hours a statement entitled "Joint statement by European Council President Herman Van Rompuy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on the election of Tomislav Nikolic as President of the Republic of Serbia".
A new e-mail arrived at 17.11 hours asking reporters to ignore the statement issued earlier.
Polling stations in Serbia were closed at 8 pm.