Serbia clears EU membership hurdle

The European Commission has recommended that Serbia gains European Union membership in light of critical efforts made by the country.

The commission is rewarding Serbia for making democratic reforms and capturing several alleged war criminals but said that talks could only begin after Serbia normalised ties with Kosovo.

However, some Serbians, particularly right-wing groups, are unhappy, saying that ambitions to join the EU are "idealistic" and that the bloc's requirements over Kosovo are "unacceptable".

Al Jazeera's Barnaby Phillips reports from Belgrade.