Starović: Serbia Still Blocked on Opening Cluster 3 Despite European Commission Recommendation

Serbia remains stalled in opening Cluster 3 of its European Union accession negotiations, despite five consecutive annual recommendations from the European Commission to do so. Nemanja Starović, Serbia's Minister for European Integration, stated in Brussels that the process has become "stuck" due to a lack of necessary political consensus among EU member states.

Starović explained that while the European Commission recommended opening Clusters 3 and 4 at the end of 2021, the opening of Cluster 3 was initially delayed pending Serbia's constitutional amendments concerning the judiciary. This process was completed in 2022 via a referendum, though it was politically demanding. However, Starović noted that this was insufficient, and since early 2022, Serbia has faced a deficit of the required political consensus among member states for Cluster 3 to open.

He emphasized that the delay is not due to Serbia failing to meet technical conditions but rather the absence of unanimous political support from EU member states, which is essential for opening new negotiation clusters. This situation persists despite the European Commission's consistent positive recommendations in its annual reports on Serbia.

Meanwhile, Parliament Speaker Ana Brnabić, also in Brussels, presented Serbia's progress and plans for its European path. She asserted that reforms will not merely be planned but actively implemented. Brnabić highlighted that Serbia has adopted 23 laws directly related to EU integration this year. Regarding recommendations from the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for improving the electoral process, she stated that 12 out of 25 recommendations have been implemented, with four out of seven priority recommendations fully applied.

Brnabić also pointed to the establishment of an operational team for EU accession as a key change this year, aimed at optimizing the accession process and improving planning. She concluded by stating that Serbia continues to work diligently on all reforms, prioritizing the benefit of its citizens over merely meeting norms.