EU positive on Balkan entry bids

Source: BBC News

The EU expects all western Balkan countries by the end of 2008 to have signed initial deals paving the way for eventual entry into the 27-member bloc.

Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Serbia were on course to fulfill all EU conditions.

He also praised Serbia's co-operation with the UN war crimes tribunal. But Turkey was urged to improve freedom of expression and minority rights if it wanted its membership bid to progress.

Mr Rehn said the EU and Turkey should not begin critical accession talks on justice and human rights until Ankara had amended Article 301, a law used to prosecute journalists and intellectuals for "insulting Turkishness".

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7080895.stm