The European Union is closely monitoring and deeply concerned about the recent developments regarding the interference of authorities in Serbia with several civil society organizations.
This was stated on Wednesday by a European Union spokesperson, responding to questions about recent actions by the Serbian police, which carried out operations at the offices of several civil society organizations.
“Civil society plays a vital role in the development of a democratic and pluralistic society and must be able to operate freely and without pressure. These are values that are not only at the core of the European Union but are also essential for the future of any candidate country that wishes to join the EU,” the spokesperson said.
On February 25, the Office of the High Public Prosecutor in Belgrade announced that it had opened a case regarding suspected misuse of funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by several non-governmental organizations in Serbia.
The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on the same day that the Serbian Police had begun “gathering information” about the work of four NGOs: the Center for Research, Transparency, and Accountability (CRTA), Civil Initiatives, the Center for Practical Politics, and the Trag Foundation.
CRTA and Civil Initiatives confirmed that the Police had raided their offices on the morning of February 25.
The action by Serbian authorities came after U.S. President Donald Trump restricted the operations of USAID by ordering a 90-day freeze on its spending on January 24, ahead of an audit of the agency, which was founded in 1961 to better coordinate the distribution of U.S. foreign aid.
Since Trump’s return to the White House, his administration and close associates have frequently labeled USAID as a “criminal organization.”
“As we have stated in the latest enlargement package, Serbia is expected to provide an environment conducive to the functioning of civil society. We will continue to closely monitor developments in Serbia,” the European Commission spokesperson stated, according to REL.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said that Serbia would assist the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in its investigations into the funding of Serbian NGOs by USAID and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED).
“Undoubtedly, we will closely cooperate with the FBI on this matter,” Vučić told Happy TV, adding that the FBI would receive any information it needs from Serbia.
