(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, DECEMBER 12 - Serbia opened two new chapters yesterday in the EU accession negotiations, No. 17 on economic and monetary policy and No. 18 on statistics, announced Austria's foreign minister Karin Kneissl, who holds the EU presidency, at the end of the EU-Serbia intergovernmental conference. The chapters opened so far by Belgrade in the negotiations with Brussels are thus 16 (out of 34), of which 2 are temporarily closed. ''Progress in these two chapters is essential to further structural reforms in the economy'' of Serbia, the EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said, underlining that ''Serbia's current growth'' is stable and structural reforms are fruitful, but all this should continue''. Referring to Serbia's statistical databases, the commissioner said they are ''among the best in the region'', but ''further efforts'' are needed ''to broaden the reporting on the main macroeconomic indicators and the structure of the economy''. Hahn then stated that ''the reforms of the rule of law are at the heart of EU enlargement''. The head of the Serbian diplomacy for European integration, Jadranka Joksimovic, expressed her ''partial'' satisfaction. In fact, on the negotiating table there was another chapter, No. 19, on financial services. Nineteen EU member states voted in favor of the opening of the latter negotiation, but unanimity was reached only on 2 chapters. Among those who opposed the opening of chapter No. 19, according to sources within the EU, were Germany and France. ''We would have preferred something more'', said Joksimovic, underlining, however, that the opening of these chapters ''shows that Serbia has been successful so far and will continue with strong commitment and determination'' on its way towards the EU.