Serbia could become a candidate for European Union membership in 2009 if it proves that it is doing its best to catch war-crimes suspects, the EU's executive said Wednesday, according to dpa. "Under the best possible scenario, Serbia may still be able to obtain candidate status in 2009," EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said as he presented the European Commission's annual reports on the countries which are hoping to join the bloc. However, the Balkans' largest state "needs to follow by positive developments through full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and making tangible progress in priority reform areas related to the rule of law and economic reform" to gain that status, the report stressed. ICTY Chief Prosecutor Serge Brammertz is set to report to the UN Security Council on Serbia's cooperation with his organization in December. The EU is eagerly awaiting his report, Rehn said.
