Implementation of this comprehensive agreement will facilitate the gradual alignment of Serbian legislation with all EU legislation and all EU standards, giving a new impetus to Serbian industry in attracting investment. It will provide Serbia with the general framework for a rapprochement with the EU and its preparation for its future participation in the EU internal market. This is therefore an important step on the road to Serbia`s accession to the EU. The agreement with Kosovo was the first to be signed after the Lisbon Treaty came into force, which brought down the EU`s legal personality. [2] [3] An EU representative in Kosovo stated that „unlike the ASA with other countries in the region, this agreement will be exclusively the EU agreement. The EU will sign them as a legal entity. [4] The agreement did not have to be ratified individually by each Member State, some of which did not recognize Kosovo`s independence. [5] The representative added: „Since Kosovo is not recognised by the five Member States, we had to adopt a directive stating that the signing of the agreement will not mean that the EU or any of the countries will recognise Kosovo as a state.“ [4] Negotiations on the ASA between the European Union and Serbia began in November 2005 and this agreement was signed in April 2008. Before it came into force, it was ratified by Serbia and THE EU Member States. The European Council`s decision on the conclusion of this agreement was adopted on 22 July 2013 and paved the way for it to enter into force on 1 September 2013. Similar SAAS have been in force since 2004 with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, 2005 with Croatia, 2009 with Albania and 2010 with Montenegro. Stabilization and association agreements are part of the EU Stabilisation and Association Process (PSA) and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). At present, the countries of the Western Balkans are at the heart of the PSA.

Specific Stabilization and Association Agreements (ASAs) have been implemented with various Balkan countries, which contain explicit provisions for the country`s future accession to the EU. The SAAs resemble in principle the European agreements signed in the 1990s with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the association agreement with Turkey. The ASAs rely mainly on the EU`s EU acquis and are based on their enactment in the legislation of the cooperating countries. The political harmonisation expected by the ASA is lower than for EU Member States; Some areas of action of the Community acquis may not fall under a specific ASA. The provisions of the interim agreement continue to be implemented smoothly under the ASA without amendment. In accordance with Article 139 of the ASA, the provisions relating to the free movement of goods, customs, competition, state aid, intellectual property rights and other relevant provisions that came into force under the interim agreement will continue to apply from the date of the interim agreement and not from the ASA. This means that the entry into force of the ASA will not affect the dynamics and deadlines set out in the interim agreement with regard to trade liberalisation and alignment with EU legislation in the above areas. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and its Member States, on the one hand, and the Republic of Serbia (ASA), came into force on 1 September 2013.

The ASA sets rules for a comprehensive partnership between Serbia and the EU to support Serbia`s progress towards EU membership.