EU envoy criticizes Serbia’s absence from Western Balkans summit
The Head of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Serbia, Andreas von Beckerath, said in Belgrade that Serbia’s absence from the EU-Western Balkans Summit is not ideal and that any issues should be discussed, as the EU enlargement process is based on dialogue.
Von Beckerath made the remarks during the panel “From Denmark to Cyprus: How to Make the EU Ready for Enlargement” and added that a key point in the European Commission’s (EC) 2025 report on Serbia is the observation that Serbia has regressed in the field of rule of law, CE Report quotes FENA.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić did not attend the EU-Western Balkans Summit held in Brussels, explaining that he made the decision because he believes it protects the country’s interests, reiterating once again that EU membership remains a strategic interest for Serbia.
However, von Beckerath emphasized that for Serbia in the accession process, the most important aspects are rule of law, judicial independence, prosecutorial autonomy, and the fight against corruption. Another key point is creating a favorable environment for civil society, which plays an extremely important role in the enlargement process.
Von Beckerath highlighted that civil society organizations in Serbia ensure the quality of the EU accession process, while some media outlets and high-ranking officials accuse them of sabotaging it.
“I would say that is somewhat bizarre,” von Beckerath noted, adding that the accession process should be inclusive and involve political opposition as well as other actors in society.
In Serbia, much attention is given to Cluster 3, but for Serbia, energy source diversification is also important. The EU has clearly shown it wants to help Serbia reduce dependence on Russia, which is not a reliable supplier, von Beckerath said.
EU member states stated that opening Negotiating Cluster 3 requires Serbia to achieve “further progress in the area of rule of law and normalization of relations with Kosovo.” The decision was postponed after it became clear that there was no necessary consensus among member states to open Cluster 3 for Serbia.
The last cluster Serbia opened was in December 2021, and Serbian authorities maintain that the country has met the conditions for opening Cluster 3, even though Serbia has regressed in the EU accession process and has not opened a single chapter in nearly four years.
As reported by CE Report, Serbian students rally against political interference in education.
Foto: Radiotelevizija Srbije
