Serbia and EU accession
This story tracks Serbia's EU talks, the rule of law, media issues and foreign-policy alignment. In July, at least five EU states opposed opening Cluster 3, the European Commission flagged problems in justice, anti-corruption policy and journalist safety, and Serbia aligned with two of six new EU foreign-policy decisions.
What matters
On July 29, the EU said Serbia aligned with decisions on Lebanon and Sudan but not with four restrictive-measures decisions linked to Russia, cyberattacks and serious human-rights abuses. The other Western Balkan candidates aligned with all four.
Chronology
Serbia did not align with four new EU restrictive decisions
The EU said Serbia aligned with two new foreign-policy decisions on Lebanon and Sudan, but not with four restrictive-measures decisions linked to Russia, cyberattacks and serious human-rights abuses. N1 reports that the other Western Balkan candidates aligned with all four decisions.
REM: decisions possible without a chair
REM spokesperson Olivera Zekić said the council may adopt decisions before electing a chair if members agree and the oldest member, Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, presides. The law and internal rules do not expressly regulate this situation; another attempt to elect a chair and deputy is scheduled for July 30.
98 incidents involving journalists in six months
The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) reported 98 attacks, threats, and other incidents involving journalists in the first six months of the year, two fewer than in the same period of 2025. Its database lists 17 attacks and 34 threats, with online threats doubling.
Commission rule-of-law report
The European Commission published its annual rule-of-law report, covering EU member states and four candidate countries: Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Its Serbia chapter cites political pressure on courts and prosecutors, unfinished work from the previous anti-corruption plan, problems with REM's functioning, and worsening journalist safety.
Picula calls elections a criterion for Brussels
European Parliament rapporteur for Serbia Tonino Picula told N1 that the preparation, conduct, and aftermath of future elections will be an important criterion in assessing Brussels' relations with Belgrade. He also linked the lack of progress to a low likelihood of opening Cluster 3; this is an MEP's assessment, not a new EU institutional decision.
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Four members confirm REM participation
Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, Ira Prodanov Krajišnik, Mileva Malešić, and Rodoljub Šabić confirmed that they will enter the REM Council and take up work after parliament adopted an authentic interpretation of the Electronic Media Law on July 10. Under that interpretation, a resignation statement submitted before taking office is not a resignation under Article 18(4) and does not end the mandate.
European Parliament on Serbia's EU path
In a July 12 post, the European Parliament linked Serbia's progress toward EU membership to rule-of-law reforms and stronger democratic standards. The same message described free and fair elections as necessary to resolve the political crisis and normalization of relations with Kosovo as a necessary step.
Serbia forms team for EU 'roam like at home' negotiations
On June 25, the government formed a negotiating team to include Serbia in the EU's 'Roam Like at Home' regime. If negotiations with the European Commission lead to an agreement and rule alignment, residents and businesses could use mobile services more cheaply while staying in EU countries.
Cluster 3 blocked
N1 and Danas, citing RFE/RL, report that the Netherlands officially does not support opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU talks, while diplomatic sources say at least five member states oppose it. The main reasons are rule of law, Serbia's failure to sanction Russia, and the assessment that opening the cluster now would not be merit-based.
Four REM Council members would return only with guarantees
On June 26, Dubravka Valić Nedeljković said four elected REM Council members who had resigned would return only with guarantees: the ninth member should be chosen after national-council elections, and Ištvan Bodžoni should not be on the candidate harmonization list. The parliamentary committee meanwhile concluded that there are no legal obstacles to their return because parliament did not verify the resignations.
Parliament adopts judicial-law package from 32-item agenda
On June 25, parliament adopted amendments to laws on public prosecution, judges, the High Prosecutorial Council, court and prosecutor territories, and bodies for fighting high-tech crime. Those five judicial laws were part of voting on 32 items, alongside transplantation, support for young first-home buyers, international agreements, and state guarantees for Srbijagas.
Parliament finishes debate on all 32 points, vote scheduled for June 25
On June 24, MPs finished detailed debate on all items of the extraordinary session; Ana Brnabic announced voting on 32 agenda points, including the judicial-law package, for June 25 at 10:00. The final block covered state guarantees for Srbijagas and Srbijavoz loans; Dusan Bajatovic said Srbijagas lost EUR 200 million over two years because of social pricing policy, while opposition MPs cited corruption, rising public debt, and commercial-bank loans with interest rates up to 4.78%.
Parliament debates 37 amendments on the Mrdic judicial laws
On June 23, Serbia's parliament continued its extraordinary session on 32 agenda items and moved to debate 37 amendments to the key judicial laws in the Mrdic package; according to N1, 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 were aligned with the Venice Commission and the EU, while opposition MPs also used the session to raise questions on EXPO and the 'sound cannon' case.
Platforma za evropsku Srbiju writes to the EU over different judicial-law texts
SSP, SRCE, PSG, and Solidarnost, grouped in Platforma za evropsku Srbiju, said on June 21 that they sent EU institutions a letter alleging an SNS attempt to mislead the Venice Commission: they claim one text of the judicial laws was sent to the Commission and another to parliament. Danas also carries the Justice Ministry's response: Minister Nenad Vujic denies that the texts differ and says the only difference is that the parliamentary text is in Serbian.
High Prosecutorial Council assigns three prosecutors to TOK for three years
On June 18, the High Prosecutorial Council decided to assign Irena Bjelos, Aleksandar Barac, and Boris Majlat to the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office for three years. That addresses part of the issue singled out by the Venice Commission in its follow-up opinion on the Mrdic laws: not all prosecutors had been returned to TOK.
High Prosecutorial Council meets tomorrow over assigning prosecutors to TOK
N1 and Danas report that an extraordinary session of the High Prosecutorial Council is scheduled for June 18, with temporary assignment of public prosecutors to the Organized Crime Prosecutor's Office among the proposed agenda items. The issue is directly tied to the Venice Commission's follow-up opinion on the Mrdic laws, which singled out the fact that not all prosecutors had been returned to TOK as unresolved.
Parliament takes up amendments to the so-called Mrdic laws
On June 17, Serbia's parliament opened an extraordinary session with 32 agenda items, including amendments to five judicial laws previously criticized by the Venice Commission. N1 reports that the Commission's follow-up opinion found seven of nine recommendations implemented, while two key lines remain unresolved.
Venice Commission: seven recommendations on the Mrdic laws implemented, two remain open
On June 16, the Venice Commission published a follow-up opinion on the revision of the Mrdic laws: in the commission's assessment, Serbia implemented seven of nine recommendations, but did not fully resolve the return of two of 11 organized-crime prosecutors or the structural autonomy of the cybercrime unit. This qualifies the more optimistic political framing in which Ana Brnabic spoke on June 12 about a positive opinion and expectations for Cluster 3.
Venice Commission gives a positive opinion on Serbia's judicial-law package
Ana Brnabic said the Council of Europe's Venice Commission gave a positive opinion on proposed amendments to five recently adopted judicial laws. She said the package should go to parliament next week, while the government expects it to help open Cluster 3 in EU talks after no chapters have been opened since December 2021.
Fresh materials on this topic
Serbia did not align with four new EU restrictive decisions
The EU said Serbia aligned with two new foreign-policy decisions on Lebanon and Sudan, but not with four restrictive-measures decisions linked to Russia, cyberattacks and serious human-rights abuses. N1 reports that the other Western Balkan candidates aligned with all four decisions.
REM says the council can decide without an elected chair
REM spokesperson Olivera Zekić said the council may adopt decisions before electing a chair if members agree and the oldest member, Dubravka Valić Nedeljković, presides. The law and internal rules do not expressly regulate this situation; another attempt to elect a chair and deputy is scheduled for July 30.
UNS: 98 attacks, threats, and other incidents involving journalists recorded in six months
The Journalists' Association of Serbia (UNS) reported 98 attacks, threats, and other incidents involving journalists in the first six months of the year, two fewer than in the same period of 2025. Its database lists 17 attacks and 34 threats, with online threats doubling.
European Commission flags pressure on justice and media problems in Serbia
The European Commission published its annual rule-of-law report, covering EU member states and four candidate countries: Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. Its Serbia chapter cites political pressure on courts and prosecutors, unfinished work from the previous anti-corruption plan, problems with REM's functioning, and worsening journalist safety.
What changed
- On July 29, the EU said Serbia aligned with decisions on Lebanon and Sudan but not with four restrictive-measures decisions linked to Russia, cyberattacks and serious human-rights abuses. The other Western Balkan candidates aligned with all four.
- Serbia has not opened new negotiation chapters since December 2021. In July, at least five EU states opposed opening Cluster 3; no new decision to open the cluster has been made.
- The European Commission's July 17 report flags political pressure on courts and prosecutors, an unimplemented part of the anti-corruption plan, problems with REM and worsening journalist safety.