Serbia has once again distanced itself from the European Union’s foreign policy, becoming the only EU candidate country from the Western Balkans that has not aligned with three recent EU foreign policy decisions concerning Ukraine, Russia, and Venezuela.
While North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina have all aligned themselves with the EU’s latest decisions and formally committed to adjusting their national policies accordingly, Serbia has chosen not to follow suit, according to an official EU statement. The European Union acknowledged and welcomed the alignment of all other candidate countries.
Refusal to Sanction Russia and Venezuela
Serbia did not align with the EU decision to expand the list of individuals and entities subject to restrictive measures for actions that violate or threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.
In addition, Belgrade refused to support EU restrictive measures related to the situation in Venezuela, including sanctions imposed over violations of democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and repression of civil society and democratic opposition following presidential elections.
Serbia also failed to align with the EU decision to expand sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in Russia’s destabilizing activities.
EU Accession Process Effectively Frozen
Serbia opened accession negotiations with the EU in January 2014. To date, it has opened 22 out of 35 negotiating chapters, while only two chapters have been provisionally closed.
However, the accession process has been effectively frozen since December 2021, when the last negotiating chapters were opened.
Although the European Commission assessed Serbia as technically ready to open Cluster 3, this cluster was not opened throughout 2025, due to the lack of full consensus among EU member states.
Rule of Law and Kosovo Remain Key Obstacles
According to EU member states, Serbia must demonstrate further progress in the rule of law and in the normalization of relations with Kosovo before Cluster 3 can be opened. The decision was postponed after it became clear that there was insufficient agreement among member states to proceed.
In its 2024 and 2025 progress reports, the European Commission highlighted Serbia’s lack of progress in democratic institutions, rule of law, media freedom, and freedom of expression. The reports also noted an increase in repression by authorities during anti-government protests that began in late 2024.
What Cluster 3 Includes
Cluster 3 comprises eight chapters, covering:
- Digital transformation and media
- Taxation
- Economic and monetary policy
- Social policy and employment
- Industrial policy and entrepreneurship
- Science and research
- Education and culture
- Customs union
Before the 2020 reform of the EU enlargement methodology, Serbia had already opened five of these chapters under the previous negotiation framework, which grouped chapters individually rather than into thematic clusters.
Despite this, Serbian authorities maintain that the country has met the criteria for opening Cluster 3, even as Serbia has not opened a single new negotiating chapter in the past four years, underscoring the deep stagnation of its EU integration process.
