Brussels  - Serbia could become a candidate for European Union membership as early as 2009 following the capture of war-crimes indictee Radovan Karadzic, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Wednesday.

"If everything goes according to plan, and all the conditions are met, it will be possible to give candidate status to Serbia in 2009," Barroso said after a meeting in Brussels with Serbian President Boris Tadic.

Rome - European Commission Presid

Prague  - Nuclear energy, a cheap and carbon-free source, could contribute to Europe's battle against climate change, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said Thursday.

Nuclear energy "can help protect our economies against price volatility and reduce dependence on imported gas," Barroso told a nuclear-energy forum in Prague.

Barosso, however, said that the European Commission will not promote nuclear power to EU members who have "an absolute right to choose freely."