Issue for July 23, 2026

This story follows the public aquarium project in Belgrade's Ušće park: permits, budget, contractors, impact on green space, and reactions from residents and activists. The project matters as an example of urban construction where state decisions directly reshape public space in New Belgrade.

• A permit for preparatory works for the aquarium in Ušće park was issued on June 8, 2026; the decision could be appealed within eight days of publication.
• On July 2, N1 reported that near the future construction site by the former Hotel Jugoslavija, a large amount of soil, water spurting from the ground, a fenced hole, pipes, and a generator were visible; no workers were on site.
• On the evening of July 5, the Zemun and New Belgrade assemblies blocked the roundabout by the Ušće shopping center and marched along Bulevar Nikole Tesle toward Hotel Jugoslavija; at the same time, an appeal against preparatory works was filed and Zbor Zemun announced a planned lawsuit against the Secretariat for Urbanism.
• The project investor is Serbia's Finance Ministry, while the contractor is listed as Turkey's Ronesans Endustri Tesisleri Insaat Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi with a local subcontractor.
• The plot covers 15,400 square meters near the former Hotel Jugoslavija site; the building is planned as a 10-meter-high structure with a basement and ground floor.
• The preparatory works are valued at RSD 188.9 million; according to Forbes/N1, RSD 2.8 billion was already spent from the 2025 budget, and another RSD 1 billion is planned in the 2026 budget.
• On July 23, more than 70 civil-society organisations sought, through an appeal procedure, to annul the decision not to conduct an environmental impact assessment for the aquarium and to carry out such an assessment.

This story tracks Serbia's EU talks, rule-of-law requirements, judicial reforms, media issues, and foreign-policy conditions. In July, at least five EU states do not support opening Cluster 3, four independent members decided to take up work in the REM Council, and a new European Commission report flags problems with judicial independence, anti-corruption policy, and journalist safety.

• 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 finished detailed debate on all 32 items of the extraordinary session; Ana Brnabic scheduled voting for June 25 at 10:00. The judicial-law package remains among the items, while the final debate block concerned state guarantees for Srbijagas and Srbijavoz loans.
• On June 25, parliament adopted a package of five judicial laws: amendments to laws on public prosecution, judges, the High Prosecutorial Council, court and prosecutor territories, and bodies for fighting high-tech crime.
• The same day, the government formed a negotiating team for talks with the European Commission on including Serbia in the EU's 'Roam Like at Home' regime, which relates to integration into the EU single digital market.
• On June 26, N1 and Danas carried Dubravka Valić Nedeljković's statement: four elected REM Council members who had resigned are ready to return only with guarantees over the ninth member and the candidate list; the parliamentary committee concluded there are no legal obstacles to their return because parliament did not verify the resignations.
• On July 3, N1 and Danas, citing RFE/RL, reported that the Netherlands officially does not support opening Cluster 3 and that at least five EU states oppose it in total; reasons include rule of law and Serbia's refusal to join sanctions against Russia.
• On July 11, four independent REM Council members — Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić — said they would take up work after parliament adopted an authentic interpretation of the Electronic Media Law. The ninth member from the national-minority category remains unresolved.
• On July 12, the European Parliament's official X account posted a position linking Serbia's progress toward EU membership to rule-of-law reforms and stronger democratic standards; it also cited free and fair elections and normalization of relations with Kosovo. No new decision on negotiations or opening a cluster was made.
• On July 15, European Parliament rapporteur Tonino Picula told N1 that the preparation, conduct, and aftermath of future elections would be an important criterion in assessing Brussels' relations with Belgrade. This is an MEP's assessment, not a new EU decision on negotiations.
• On July 17, the European Commission published Serbia's chapter in its annual Rule of Law Report. It cites political pressure on courts and prosecutors, unfinished work from the previous anti-corruption plan, problems with REM's functioning, and worsening journalist safety; this is an institutional assessment, not a decision to open a negotiation cluster.
• On July 21, UNS reported 98 recorded attacks, threats, and other incidents involving journalists in the first half of the year, including 17 attacks and 34 threats, and said online threats had increased. These are professional-association data, not a new EU institutional assessment.
• On July 23, Olivera Zekić said the REM Council could formally decide without an elected chair if its oldest member presides. The law and internal rules do not expressly regulate this case; after a 4-4 tie in the first vote, a new session was scheduled for July 29.