Despite significant efforts by Hungary, currently holding the EU presidency, to push forward the opening of the third chapter of Serbia’s EU membership negotiations, member states failed to reach an agreement on Monday. Meanwhile, Albania is expected to advance by opening new chapters.
Some member states believe that Serbia, despite making progress in certain areas, has not done enough to deserve further advancement in the accession process.
So far, Serbia has opened 22 out of the 35 chapters required for EU membership. Of these, it has provisionally closed two. However, negotiations between Belgrade and Brussels have essentially been frozen for the past three years due to Serbia’s refusal to impose sanctions on Russia.
The European Commission has reiterated that Serbia has met the technical criteria for opening the third chapter. However, within the Council, several member states argue that Serbia must also make more progress on certain political issues.
According to diplomatic sources cited by Radio Free Europe, countries opposing or expressing reservations include the three Baltic states, the Netherlands, Croatia, Finland, and Sweden.
Key Concerns Holding Back Serbia
The most frequently cited reasons for withholding the green light for Serbia include:
Its failure to align its foreign policy with the EU, particularly regarding sanctions against Russia.
The need for greater efforts to improve freedom of expression and the rule of law.
Demands for justice concerning the armed attacks in Banjska in northern Kosovo during the fall of 2023.
The Banjska Incident and Serbia’s Responsibility
In September 2023, a group of armed Serbs attacked Kosovo Police in the village of Zvečan, killing a police sergeant. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by Milan Radoičić, a former Serbian politician in Kosovo. He faces charges in Kosovo but is believed to be residing in Serbia.
Kosovo accuses Serbia of involvement in the attack, a claim that Belgrade officially denies.
Hungary’s Push for Consensus
To facilitate the necessary consensus for Serbia, Hungary circulated a non-paper highlighting Serbia’s achievements and commitments for the future.
Radio Free Europe gained access to the non-paper, which states that Serbia plans to better align its foreign policy with the EU next year and has expressed a commitment to uphold obligations stemming from the Agreement on the Path to Normalizing Relations with Kosovo.
Current Stalemate
For now, however, a group of EU member states remains firm in their stance. According to sources within Hungary’s EU presidency, this issue will stay on the agenda for future meetings of EU member state ambassadors.
