- Negotiating Framework. This document represents the framing document of the accession negotiations, including in the case of Serbia. The document lists the main principles of the negotiations. In Serbia’s case, for example, it refers to the process of normalization of relations between Belgrade and Pristina, to the respect for the Copenhagen Criteria, as well as the Association and Stabilization Agreement and to key areas such as fundamental rights, rule of law, judiciary, combatting corruption, security.
- Screening Report. For every negotiating chapter, the process starts with a screening report. The screening report evaluates the situation in a particular field related to a negotiating chapter and may list criteria (benchmarks) that the candidate country needs to fulfil in order for the chapter to be open.
- Benchmarks. These are criteria that the candidate country needs to fulfil along the negotiating process in order for the process to advance. There are three types of benchmarks, but not all chapters will have all of the three. These are opening benchmarks, interim benchmarks and closing benchmarks. The opening benchmarks are benchmarks that the candidate country has to fulfil in order for the chapter to be opened. The interim benchmarks are associated with chapters 23 and 24 and represent the conditions that the candidate country has to fulfil along the process for these two key chapters. The closing benchmarks are conditions that the country has to fulfil for the negotiating chapters to be closed.
- Opening Benchmarks Assessment Report (OBAR). The OBAR assesses whether the candidate country has fulfilled the opening benchmarks, allowing the chapter to be open. The OBAR is elaborated by the Commission and is discussed by the Member states. member states cannot amend the OBAR (just as they cannot amend the screening report), but can comment on it and can approve or reject it (they agree or disagree with the Commission’s conclusion that the candidate country successfully fulfilled the conditions to open a chapter).
- Draft Common Position. The EU Draft Common Position (DCP) is the EU’s negotiating position with regards to the candidate country on a particular negotiating chapter (each negotiating chapter will have a DCP). The DCP is proposed by the Commission, then discussed by the EU member states in the EU Council.
- COELA. COELA is the Working Party on Enlargement, where issues related to the three countries that opened accession negotiations (Serbia, Montenegro and Turkey) are discussed.
- COREPER. COREPER is the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the member states to the EU. COREPER is formed of COREPER I (where COREPER I ambassadors discuss sectorial topics, in general related to the Single Market) and COREPER II (where COREPER II ambassadors discuss justice and home affairs, trade, enlargement, cohesion, budgetary and economic issues etc.). COREPER is a level of representation above the technical groups. Usually, things that cannot be decided at the technical level are moved for discussions at the higher, political level, namely at COREPER level.
A glossary of useful EU Enlargement terms
The Brussels Brief 
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