The European Union has called on Serbia to fully implement all recommendations issued by the Venice Commission regarding its judicial laws, while also urging the suspension of their implementation until amendments are made.
European Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier stated that the opinion of the Venice Commission is fully aligned with the position of the European Commission.
“We now expect Serbia to fully implement all recommendations of the Venice Commission as soon as possible. This should be done through a transparent and inclusive consultation process with all stakeholders, including the European Commission and the Venice Commission,” Mercier said.
The amendments to Serbia’s judicial laws were adopted in January this year. The EU assessed this as a serious step backward on Serbia’s path toward EU integration, as the changes limit the independence of the prosecution.
On April 24, the Venice Commission concluded that the latest amendments to several judicial laws in Serbia remove previously existing safeguards for prosecutorial autonomy.
The expert body of the Council of Europe issued nine recommendations to address the shortcomings, including restoring a non-hierarchical decision-making system, limiting temporary appointments of chief prosecutors, ensuring greater independence of prosecutorial bodies, and preventing repeated temporary assignments.
According to EU officials, Serbia is also urged to delay the implementation of the adopted laws until the recommended changes are made.
Without revisions to these laws, Serbia risks the suspension of payments from EU funds.
