to reiterate its support for an ambitious, comprehensive and balanced negotiation, which should unleash the untapped potential of a more integrated global services market, while preventing social, environmental and economic dumping and fully guaranteeing compliance with the EU acquis ; to shape and regulate globalisation and to strengthen international standards, while legally securing the right to regulate and to pursue legitimate public policy objectives such as public health, safety and environment; to secure increased market access for European services suppliers, including SMEs, in key sectors of interest, while accommodating spec ...[+++]ific carve-outs for sensitive sectors, including all public services; to ensure that these negotiations contribute fairly and significantly to job creation and inclusive growth, and set ambitious trade in services standards for the 21st century; to respect the EU’s and Member States’ political, social and cultural models as well as the fundamental principles enshrined in the EU Treaties, and those included in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU, such as gender equality; to promote and protect human rights, democracy and the rule of law worldwide;

human rights, good governance and the rule of law, including reform of justice, of the public administration and of the security sector.

11. Underlines the utmost importance of the fight against corruption and organised crime for the rule of law in the country; welcomes the recent adoption of several laws related to the fight against corruption and encourages the Serbian authorities to focus on their effective implementation; but expresses its concern about the lack of implementation and the increasing influence of the executive branch on the work of independent institutions and the media; points out, in this regard, that the position of Serbia in the Corruption Perception Index has not improved over the last three years; stresses that not only declaratory but genuine political will is needed to combat corruption; encourages the government to build up strong leadership ...[+++]over the anti-corruption processes; equally, welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court on the unconstitutionality of holding several public functions as a step towards greater transparency in the public sector, lowering the risk of conflicts of interests; underlines, however, that intertwined interests of political parties and private interests sustain systemic corruption, a common problem in the region which continues to be widespread, and calls for a credible record of prosecution of high-level cases and for implementation of an appropriate protection system for the persons who report it; underlines likewise that corruption in the health sector is a particular concern; urges the government to follow up on the findings of high-level and systemic corruption identified by the Anti-Corruption Council and Anti-Corruption Agency as well as to ensure that these agencies have adequate financial and administrative resources to perform their work and to give more high-level support to the anti-corruption strategy;

9. Underlines the utmost importance of the fight against corruption and organised crime for the rule of law in the country; welcomes the recent adoption of several laws related to the fight against corruption and encourages the Serbian authorities to focus on their effective implementation; but expresses its concern about the lack of implementation and the increasing influence of the executive branch on the work of independent institutions and the media; points out, in this regard, that the position of Serbia in the Corruption Perception Index has not improved over the last three years; stresses that not only declaratory but genuine political will is needed to combat corruption; encourages the government to build up strong leadership o ...[+++]ver the anti-corruption processes; equally, welcomes the decision of the Constitutional Court on the unconstitutionality of holding several public functions as a step towards greater transparency in the public sector, lowering the risk of conflicts of interests; underlines, however, that intertwined interests of political parties and private interests sustain systemic corruption, a common problem in the region which continues to be widespread, and calls for a credible record of prosecution of high-level cases and for implementation of an appropriate protection system for the persons who report it; underlines likewise that corruption in the health sector is a particular concern; urges the government to follow up on the findings of high-level and systemic corruption identified by the Anti-Corruption Council and Anti-Corruption Agency as well as to ensure that these agencies have adequate financial and administrative resources to perform their work and to give more high-level support to the anti-corruption strategy;

With regard to the broader issue of respect for fundamental rights and specifically women’s rights in Nigeria and the rest of Africa, the Council is determined to pursue the policy which it has long been implementing in this field and, in particular, by means of the following instruments: the Cotonou Agreement, Article 9(2) which lays down the parties’ obligations, their international commitments, in relation to the respect for human rights, and reaffirms the equality between men and women, the Cairo declaration and action plan approved at the Africa-Europe Summit held in Cairo in April 2000, which insists on respect for human rights, th ...[+++]e Common Position relating to human rights, democratic principles, the Rule of Law and good government in Africa 98/350/PESC and Council Regulation (EC) 965/99, which establishes the requirements for the application of Community development cooperation actions which contribute to achieving the general objective of development and consolidating democracy under the Rule of Law, as well as respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and specifically Common Position 01/373/PESC on Nigeria, which expressly mentions the respect for human rights.

On the question of an internal political settlement, the European Union believes it is important for the future Afghan authorities to be elected by the Afghans, for them to be representative of the ethnic groups on the ground and for them to respect and promote human rights, humanitarian rights and the rule of law in general; finally, they must refuse to cooperate in any way with terrorism and maintain harmonious relations with neighbouring states, thereby contributing to general stabilisation.