First published: June 24, 2026 at 08:06 AM
Last update: June 24, 2026 at 10:06 AM
Issue
Issue for June 24, 2026
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Last update: June 24, 2026 at 10:06 AMCards: 3Stories: 1
Fresh issue
June 24, 2026
In the June 24 issue: the continued extraordinary parliamentary session with the organ-transplant law and judicial package, a new dispute over evidence in the 'sound cannon' case, and Bankwatch data on pollution from coal-fired power plants.
- 08:06 AM
Created the daily issue for 2026-06-24. Add cards as the source check progresses.
- 08:07 AM
Added three cards: the continued extraordinary parliamentary session with the organ-transplant law, new statements and the document dispute in the 'sound cannon' case, and Bankwatch's report on coal-plant pollution exceedances.
- 10:06 AM
The editorial QA pass clarified the parliament card to separate yesterday's 37 judicial-package amendments from today's organ-transplant agenda and removed the disputed year from the sound-cannon minutes card.
News feed
Issue cards
Serbian MPs continued the extraordinary session on June 24 and moved to amendments to the law on transplanting human organs. The previous day they completed the joint debate on 32 agenda items, 37 amendments to the judicial package, and debate on the law on human cells and tissues. 021, citing Tanjug, writes that the government and opposition agree on the humanitarian goal of increasing transplants and donors but disagree over the proposed solutions; voting will take place after debate on all agenda items ends.
Context: Serbia and EU accession
021
Coverage: Novi Sad / City services, Transport, Urbanism, Environment, Civic initiatives
Serbian MPs sit in extraordinary session again, with the organ-transplant law on the agenda
(Poslanici Skupštine Srbije i danas zasedaju vanredno, na dnevnom redu i zakon o presađivanju organa)
021, citing Tanjug, reports that MPs continued the extraordinary session on June 24 and are debating amendments to the draft law on transplanting human organs. The previous day they completed the joint debate on 32 agenda items, then debated 37 amendments to the judicial package and held a detailed debate on the law on human cells and tissues. The agenda still includes amendments to laws on judges, public prosecution, high-tech-crime bodies, the High Prosecutorial Council, court and prosecutor territories, as well as youth support for first-home purchases, infrastructure projects, and international agreements. On transplants, Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar said some solutions were proposed by people awaiting transplantation; the opposition says the law should be improved. Voting will be scheduled after debate on all agenda items is completed.
Read sourceIn the 'sound cannon' case, VJT said Military Police obtained evidence under an order by a Higher Court judge in Belgrade. Lawyer Rastko Naumov is demanding publication of two minutes on which prosecutors base suspicion that device use was simulated on March 15, 2025, and says those minutes concern security threats around Autokomanda rather than proving VJT's version. Kurir, by contrast, frames the story as a debunked affair and a sign that pressure on Serbia is weakening.
Danas
VJT: Military Police acted lawfully in the sound-cannon and military-analyst case
(VJT o slučaju zvučni top i vojnom analitičaru: Vojna policija postupala u skladu sa zakonom)
Danas carries the Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor's Office statement from June 24: in the pre-investigation procedure in the 'sound cannon' case involving suspect A.R., prosecutors say Military Police obtained evidence under an order by a preliminary-proceedings judge of the Higher Court in Belgrade. VJT insists the action was lawful; the claim follows searches and a public dispute over what supports the prosecution's version that device use was simulated.
Read source021
Coverage: Novi Sad / City services, Transport, Urbanism, Environment, Civic initiatives
'Sound cannon' case: lawyer seeks publication of evidence, says minutes do not support prosecutors
(Slučaj "zvučni top": Advokat traži objavu dokaza, tvrdi da zapisnici ne potvrđuju navode tužilaštva)
021, citing Insajder, writes that lawyer Rastko Naumov called on VJT to publish both documents on which it bases suspicion that the 'sound cannon' was simulated at the March 15, 2025 protest. Naumov, who represents a student questioned after police entered the Faculty of Philosophy, says the documents are two minutes from an umbrella security working group where the device is mentioned only in a few sentences as a potential threat at an Autokomanda gathering. He argues that the documents do not prove VJT's version and do not relate to March 15, and also questions whether seized binders were opened without Mihajlo Sredanovic present.
Read sourceKurir
Kurir: A debunked alleged sound-cannon affair has weakened the blockers' arguments
(PUKLA BLOKADERSKA TAKTIKA! Raskrinkana afera "zvučni top" srušila im plan da obezbede pritisak na Srbiju iz inostranstva)
Kurir publishes a pro-government framing: it says the 'debunked affair' over alleged 'sound cannon' use weakens the possibility of foreign pressure on Serbia. The article argues that as international assessments increasingly view Serbia's policy as independent and rational, external support for blockades may weaken; Kurir's interlocutors present the case as part of the authorities' opponents' political tactics.
Read sourceAccording to Bankwatch data carried by 021, coal-fired power plants in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia emitted 6.6 times more pollution than permitted in 2025. Serbia ranked second for SO2: 177,756 tonnes, or 5.1 times the allowed amount. The report also says regional dust pollution was 2.9 times above the limit and identifies TENT B as Serbia's largest NOx source at 11,247 tonnes; since January 2026, the CBAM mechanism has increased the cost of electricity exports to the EU.
021
Coverage: Novi Sad / City services, Transport, Urbanism, Environment, Civic initiatives
Serbia second in the region for the amount of pollution emitted by thermal power plants
(Srbija druga u regionu po količini zagađenja koje ispuštaju termoelektrane)
021, citing FoNet and Bankwatch, writes that eight years after Energy Community standards entered force, coal-fired power plants in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and North Macedonia emitted 6.6 times more pollution than allowed in 2025. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the largest SO2 source with 196,940 tonnes and a 12.7-fold exceedance, while Serbia was second with 177,756 tonnes and a 5.1-fold exceedance. Regional dust pollution was 2.9 times above the limit and NOx 1.4 times; Serbia's TENT B was named the largest NOx source at 11,247 tonnes. Bankwatch also says Morava and Kolubara A are operating more than two years after their closure deadline, governments are not fining power plants and lack clear updated compliance or closure plans, while the full CBAM regime since January 2026 raises the cost of exporting electricity to the EU.
Read sourceContext
Long-running stories with updates
Stories
Serbia and EU accession
This story tracks Serbia's EU talks, rule-of-law requirements, judicial reforms, media issues, and foreign-policy conditions. In June 2026, the key current episode concerns amendments to five judicial laws, Venice Commission opinions, and expectations around opening Cluster 3.
- Serbia has not opened new EU accession negotiation chapters since December 2021.
- In January 2026, parliament adopted amendments to five judicial laws on MP Ugljesa Mrdic's proposal, drawing criticism from parts of the professional community and the EU over prosecutorial autonomy and judicial independence.
- On April 24, the Venice Commission published an urgent opinion identifying shortcomings and seven key recommendations for removing them.
- On May 18, the Justice Ministry sent improved working drafts of the amendments to parliament for transmission to Venice Commission rapporteurs.
- On June 12, Ana Brnabic said the Venice Commission had given a positive opinion, that the package would go to parliament next week, and that the government expects Cluster 3 to open soon.
- The follow-up opinion published on June 16 clarified the status: seven of nine recommendations were implemented, but the return of two of 11 organized-crime prosecutors and the autonomy of the cybercrime unit remain unresolved.
- On June 17, Serbia's parliament opened an extraordinary session with amendments to five judicial laws on the agenda, moving the Venice Commission recommendations dispute from expert review into parliamentary procedure.
- On the evening of June 17, N1 and Danas reported that the High Prosecutorial Council scheduled a June 18 extraordinary session with temporary assignment of public prosecutors to TOK among the proposed agenda items; this addresses one unresolved Venice Commission remark.
- On June 18, VST decided to assign Irena Bjelos, Aleksandar Barac, and Boris Majlat to TOK for three years; Bjelos and Barac return from June 19, while Danas separately carried the Judicial Authority Union's criticism that temporary assignment of prosecutors as a mechanism is not in line with European standards.
- On June 21, SSP, SRCE, PSG, and Solidarnost told EU institutions that, according to them, the Venice Commission and parliament received different texts of the judicial-law amendments; the Justice Ministry denies this and says the parliamentary version differs only because it is in Serbian.
- On June 23, parliament continued its extraordinary session on 32 agenda items and debated 37 amendments to the key judicial laws in the Mrdic package; N1 reports that opposition amendments were rejected. The sitting ended at about 18:00 and is scheduled to continue on June 24 at 10:00. Justice Minister Nenad Vujic again says the proposals are aligned with the Venice Commission and the EU, while opposition MPs also tie the session to questions about EXPO and the 'sound cannon' case.
- On June 24, parliament continued the extraordinary session and moved to amendments on the law on transplanting human organs; the previous day MPs had completed debate on 37 amendments to the judicial package. Judicial laws, youth support for first-home purchases, infrastructure projects, and international agreements also remain on the agenda, with voting to follow after all debates end.
Timeline
How the story developed
Serbia last opened new EU negotiation chapters in December 2021; that fact again became part of the dispute around Cluster 3.
Parliament adopted amendments to five judicial laws on MP Ugljesa Mrdic's proposal; professional groups and the EU later criticized them as a risk to prosecutorial autonomy and judicial independence.
The Venice Commission published an urgent opinion on the January amendments and issued seven key recommendations to address the shortcomings.
The Justice Ministry sent improved working drafts of the judicial-law amendments to parliament for transmission to Venice Commission rapporteurs.
Ana Brnabic said the Venice Commission gave a positive opinion on the package, that the amendments would go to parliament next week, and that she expects Cluster 3 to open soon.
The Venice Commission published its follow-up opinion: Serbia implemented seven of nine recommendations, but two key areas - the return of two organized-crime prosecutors and autonomy for the cybercrime unit - are not fully implemented.
Parliament put amendments to five judicial laws on an extraordinary session agenda, including laws on public prosecution, judges, the High Prosecutorial Council, court and prosecutor territories, and bodies for fighting high-tech crime.
VST decided to assign Irena Bjelos, Aleksandar Barac, and Boris Majlat to TOK for three years; the decision for Bjelos and Barac passed with nine votes in favor and one abstention, while Majlat's passed with eight in favor, one against, and one abstention.
Platforma za evropsku Srbiju informed EU institutions of allegedly different judicial-law texts for the Venice Commission and parliament; the Justice Ministry rejected the claims of differences.
At the extraordinary session on 32 agenda items, parliament debated 37 amendments to the key judicial laws in the Mrdic package. N1 reports that opposition amendments were rejected; the sitting ended at about 18:00 and is scheduled to continue on June 24 at 10:00.
Parliament continued the extraordinary session and moved to amendments on the law on transplanting human organs; on June 23 MPs completed debate on 37 amendments to the judicial package and the law on human cells and tissues. Voting will be scheduled after all debates end.
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