2024-11-01

Public Reading of the European Commission Report on Serbia: Limited Progress, Authorities Urged to Take Recommendations Seriously

The traditional Public Reading of the European Commission Report on Serbia 2024 took place on 1 November 2024

The European Commission’s Report on Serbia notes minimal progress made by the country in its accession path toward the European Union. The document is described as realistic, providing an accurate ‘list’ of modest advancements and accumulated challenges in key areas, according to those who participated in the Public Reading of the European Commission Report on Serbia 2024, held on 1 November 2024 at the Europe House in Belgrade.

During the panel discussion, organised by the Centre for Contemporary Politics and the Centre for Democracy Foundation, with the support of the Olof Palme International Center, it was emphasised that for Serbia to accelerate its European integration process, authorities and decision-makers need to take the recommendations of both the European Commission and civil society seriously. The latter remains subject to verbal attacks and ‘smear campaigns.’ In this context, it was highlighted that there is a need to implement in practice the laws that the European Commission has welcomed, in particular those concerning the electoral process, freedom of expression and the media, and the protection of human rights.

Plamena Halacheva: EU Membership is a Geostrategic Choice

Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia, highlighted that the content of this year’s European Commission Report demonstrates that “enlargement is back at the top of the EU agenda,” noting “a renewed momentum in the enlargement process,” underscored by the appointment of a new Commissioner exclusively dedicated to enlargement.

“The Report provides concrete recommendations, commendations, as well as challenges, and shows there is no backsliding. However, in several chapters, Serbia has failed to make progress. Among other issues, the interruption of parliamentary work has slowed reforms, and the Report notes the need for tangible progress in improving the electoral process. Additionally, civil society remains exposed to persistent verbal attacks and smear campaigns,” said Plamena Halacheva, emphasising the need for collaboration between the Government and civil society.

Addressing issues ‘mapped’ in the Report, Halacheva added that the independence of the judiciary continues to be a cause for concern, along with conditions in the media sector. She stressed the importance of implementing the new media laws and appointing a new Regulatory Body Council for Electronic Media.

Halacheva also reminded that, concerning the normalisation of relations with Kosovo, the Report highlights the need for both parties to fully implement all agreements. With regard to Belgrade, it emphasised the necessity of bringing those responsible for last year’s attack in Banjska to justice.

“We also expect Serbia to progressively align with EU foreign policy, including restrictive measures. EU membership is, indeed, a geostrategic choice,” Halacheva concluded.

Nataša Vučković: Our Institutions Are Weak, Including Parliament

Nataša Vučković, Secretary General of the Centre for Democracy Foundation (CDF), stated that this year’s European Commission Report is notably clearer, more understandable, and more concise, revealing Serbia’s very limited and weak progress in the EU integration process. One of the main critiques, she highlighted, is the weakness of Serbia's institutions.

“Our institutions are weak, with particular focus from the European Commission on the functioning of parliament. Furthermore, Serbia’s lack of alignment with EU foreign policy is one of the major criticisms emphasised in the Report,” said Vučković.

She explained that the assessment goes beyond simply measuring progress in each chapter, requiring Serbia’s progress to be evaluated relative to other Western Balkan countries. In this respect, the European Commission commended the significant progress of Albania and Montenegro, while Serbia, once a frontrunner in the accession process, now lags behind these countries.

“For Serbia, advancing in the rule of law and the normalisation of relations with Pristina is essential,” Vučković stressed.

She also emphasised that this year’s Report underscores the need for greater political will, strengthened human and financial resources across all institutions involved in the accession process, a shift in the discourse among Serbian officials regarding European integration and the EU, and the need to reduce disinformation and foreign influence.

Nemanja Todorović Štiplija: Implementing Steps from the Reform Agenda Could Accelerate Serbia’s EU Path

Emphasising the importance of understanding the European Commission’s ‘messages’ within the Report for Serbia, Nemanja Todorović Štiplija, Executive Director of the Centre for Contemporary Politics (CSP), noted that thanks to the revised methodology introduced in 2015, it is now easier to gauge “where Serbia stands compared to the previous year,” as well as to other candidates and potential EU candidate countries.

“If we quantify Serbia’s progress on the EU path relative to last year’s European Commission Report, it amounts to 0.06 – from last year’s score of 3.05 to 3.11. This rating, which we calculated, has drawn considerable attention,” explained Štiplija.

In his view, one of the ways to accelerate the European integration process will be timely implementation of steps outlined in the Reform Agenda, recently adopted by the Serbian Government. Civil society, he added, should play a significant role in monitoring implementation of the Agenda.

Bojana Selaković: I Would Like Civil Society to Start Having a Fundamental Influence on Institutions

Bojana Selaković, Coordinator of the National Convention on the European Union (NCEU), agreed that the Report is realistic as it reflects the state of all areas within the negotiation framework.

“There have been improvements in certain areas; for example, a number of new laws and bylaws have been introduced. However, much remains undone, and the Report identifies longstanding issues,” Selaković said.

In her opinion, the European Commission Report must gain more significance, as civil society is “increasingly losing enthusiasm and confidence that it can impact the EU integration process.”

“The Prime Minister’s response conveyed rather lukewarm messages, suggesting a lack of understanding of the necessary insights to be drawn from the Progress Report. I would like civil society to begin fundamentally influencing institutions so that next year’s Report may be more positive. Without this, we will be unable to progress further on the European path. We need to, once and for all, establish truly open communication with the relevant decision-makers, who should understand the message from civil society,” Selaković concluded.

Jovana Spremo: The Issue is that Adopted Laws Largely Remain Unimplemented

Commenting on the European Commission’s assessments regarding the rule of law (Chapter 23), Jovana Spremo from the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM) noted that the Report describes the situation as unchanged, rating it as ‘limited progress.’

“There are several mentions in the Report of a certain or moderate level of preparedness alongside limited progress, which I interpret as an improvement in the legislative framework but no changes on the ground, meaning the laws go unimplemented. Regarding the judiciary, the European Commission also points out significant pressures, particularly on judges and prosecutors,” Spremo stated.

She added that the Report suggests the Commission understands that “it is not enough to just change the laws; we must also change the legal culture in this country.”

“It is unacceptable for the president and other senior officials to continually comment on open cases and the work of judges and prosecutors. Furthermore, one of the Report’s focuses is on independent institutions – for the first time, it offers concrete criticism of the Ombudsman, including the institution’s relationship with civil society and failure to enforce its own recommendations. The Report also dedicates substantial attention to issues of discrimination, hate speech, and tabloid campaigns targeting civil society, the media, and all those who criticise the authorities,” Spremo concluded.

Jelena Pejić Nikić: Combating Organised Crime Remains a Weak Point

Addressing Chapter 24 (Justice, Freedom, and Security), Jelena Pejić Nikić, a researcher at the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy (BCSP), noted that the Report provides an overview of the situation, which is essential given the ‘opacity’ of Serbia’s Ministry of Interior, often hindering insights into key areas.

“The rating for Serbia’s progress in this area is a 3, the same as last year, while the readiness rating has risen to 2.5, an increase of half a point. For instance, Ukraine, despite being in a state of war, has shown greater progress in combatting organised crime than Serbia. In terms of positive developments, the European Commission has recognised Serbia’s agreement with Frontex, enhanced police and judicial collaboration with EU institutions, and progress in migration management. However, it also highlighted the need for improvement in areas such as asylum and visa policy,” emphasised Pejić Nikić.

She pointed out that Serbia received a rating of 2 in the sub-area concerning the fight against organised crime, with specific references to the unresolved ‘Banjska case’ and recommendations for strengthening financial investigation practices.

Dragana Đurica: The Economy is Suffering as a Result of Weaknesses in the Rule of Law

Dragana Đurica, Secretary General of the European Movement in Serbia (EPuS), highlighted that while Serbia’s economic ratings issued by the European Commission are “somewhat better than in the area of rule of law, it’s clear that economic progress is hindered precisely due to issues in the rule of law.”

“Macroeconomic indicators are not unfavourable, as the Report notes reductions in inflation, fiscal deficit, and public debt. However, on the ground, when assessing the market economy, the picture is quite different due to shortages of skilled labour, limited investment in innovation, and challenges in managing public investments and publicly-owned enterprises,” Đurica explained.

She noted the existence of numerous obstacles, including bureaucratic ones, “specifically for small business owners,” and pointed out that, for example, payroll taxes in Serbia are “significantly higher than in the European Union.”

In her view, it would be beneficial for Cluster 3 in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations to open as soon as possible, as this could help boost competitiveness.

Miloš Đinđić: Public Administration Reform is Essential

In terms of public administration reform, one of the areas in the Report where zero progress was noted, Miloš Đinđić, Senior Researcher at the Centre for European Policy (CEP), stated that the European Commission once again emphasises issues related to acting officials in positions, as well as the need to establish a unified system for capital investments.

“We are suffering from the issue of unfinished, insufficiently implemented laws. The European Commission repeatedly points out that we lack human resources in public administration. This contradicts the prevailing belief that we have an oversized public sector; however, this is not just about numbers; it’s also about employee competence,” said Miloš Đinđić.

The Centre for Democracy Foundation and the Centre for Contemporary Politics traditionally organise the panel discussion entitled Public Reading of the European Commission's Report on Serbia, where civil society organisations, which have been dedicated to Serbia’s EU integration for many years, offer recommendations for the improvement of reforms as well as the EU integration process itself.