During a meeting of European Union ambassadors held in Brussels on Wednesday, eight out of 27 member states blocked the initiation of a new round of accession talks with Serbia. Three EU diplomats confirmed the development to Euronews, highlighting a significant hurdle in the country’s path toward membership.
The coalition of opposing nations includes the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Estonia, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Croatia. These countries expressed reservations regarding the opening of Cluster 3, which focuses on competitiveness and inclusive growth. While Denmark, Luxembourg, and Latvia remain unconvinced but less overtly opposed, the effort to advance the negotiations continues to see support from major players such as France. French President Emmanuel Macron has previously emphasized the necessity of having a strong and democratic Serbia aligned with the bloc.
The European Commission has been a vocal proponent of moving forward, with a spokesperson noting on Monday that a document justifying the opening of Cluster 3 was shared with member states. The Commission argues that Serbia has made substantial progress, including the repeal of controversial judicial amendments, improvements in media freedom, and better cooperation on the electoral framework. Although Serbia has not formally aligned with EU sanctions against Russia regarding the invasion of Ukraine, the Commission noted that Belgrade has actively worked to counter sanctions circumvention and provided support to Kyiv.
Despite this, the document acknowledged that significant work remains, particularly regarding the judicial and prosecutorial systems. One diplomat, speaking anonymously, indicated that the opposition is rooted in Serbia’s ongoing rule of law issues and its non-alignment with international sanctions. Conversely, other member states have signaled that Serbia is on track to meet the necessary criteria.
European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos reiterated her support for the move during a debate at the European Parliament on Tuesday, stating that recent developments justify the recommendation to open the cluster. Meanwhile, former Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić has pushed back against claims that the country is pro-Russian, citing support for Ukraine and criticizing what she termed as the EU’s “double standards” in the accession process. Any decision to open or close thematic negotiating clusters requires unanimous support from all 27 EU member states.
Supportive states are concerned about the risk of further alienating the Western Balkans country and not rewarding it for attempted reforms.
Various senior EU officials have publicly endorsed opening Cluster 3, particularly after Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić reversed controversial judicial amendments in June after the Venice Commission recommended changes.
