EU divided over advancing Serbia's membership bid

The European Commission is expected to ask EU member states to approve the opening of a new chapter of accession negotiations with Serbia, but divisions among member countries threaten to block the move.

EU ambassadors meeting in Brussels on July 8 are due to consider opening the third negotiation "cluster" in Serbia's accession process, which covers reforms related to the EU single market, including cross-border services, recognition of professional qualifications and measures to facilitate business across borders.

According to POLITICO, several member states remain sceptical of the proposal, with the Netherlands prepared to veto it, highlighting growing differences within the bloc over how candidate countries should progress toward membership.

The European Commission has increasingly presented EU enlargement as a geopolitical tool to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries. However, some member states argue that candidate countries should demonstrate greater progress on democratic governance and judicial reforms before advancing in the accession process.

"The opening of Cluster 3 in Serbia’s EU accession negotiations is long overdue," said Nemanja Starović. "Serbia has been effectively stalled at this exact point for nearly five years. It would be difficult to argue that the cumulative reforms carried out by the Serbian state administration since 2022 do not merit such a modest advance in the process."

Starović added that postponing the decision again "would miss a chance to incentivise future reforms" and "be the best possible gift to anti-European political forces, both in Serbia and across the continent."

According to an internal European Commission briefing seen by POLITICO, "Serbia has recently implemented substantial elements of the commitments" it made to Brussels. The document concludes that "following these actions the Commission assesses that Serbia has remedied the backsliding which occurred" after legislation introduced in January, supporting the case for moving the country's application forward.

However, a separate confidential European Commission report obtained by POLITICO raised concerns over Serbia's human rights record, warning that "pressure on civil society organisations and journalists intensified, including smear campaigns against individuals and organisations advocating for the rule of law and the fight against corruption."

By Sabina Mammadli