The European Commission is set to present EU member states with a written recommendation stating that Serbia is ready to open Cluster 3 in its European Union accession negotiations, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), citing diplomatic sources in Brussels.
The recommendation is expected to be discussed during a meeting of EU ambassadors on July 8, with Serbia already included on the official agenda.
According to sources familiar with the document, the European Commission will positively assess Serbia’s recent amendments to its judiciary laws, adopted at the end of June.
The recommendation will also highlight the appointment of members to Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM), the body’s full operationalization, progress on electoral reform in line with ODIHR recommendations, and further alignment with the EU’s sanctions and visa policies.
Official figures show that Serbia has aligned with approximately 60% of the EU’s restrictive measures. However, the country has not joined EU sanctions against Russia, Belarus, or China.
Regarding visa policy, the Commission notes that Serbia has introduced visa requirements for citizens of four third countries, but still needs to do so for 12 additional countries to achieve full alignment with EU rules.
Efforts to Secure Unanimous Support
Through this recommendation, the European Commission aims to persuade all 27 EU member states to approve the opening of Cluster 3 later this month.
The Commission first concluded in 2021 that Serbia was technically ready to open the cluster, but EU governments have so far withheld unanimous approval.
Initial concerns centered on Serbia’s refusal to align with EU sanctions on Russia, while more recent reservations have focused on rule of law and democratic governance.
Serbia has not opened a new negotiation cluster since December 2021, losing its position as one of the leading EU accession candidates.
Under EU rules, the opening or closing of negotiation clusters requires the unanimous approval of all member states.
RFE/RL reported last week that no consensus has yet been reached, with several countries remaining hesitant due to Serbia’s limited alignment with EU foreign policy and continuing concerns over the rule of law.
A Decisive Week
The coming days are considered crucial, as several intergovernmental conferences with EU candidate countries are scheduled for next week.
On July 14, Montenegro is expected to provisionally close two negotiation chapters, while Ukraine and Moldova are each expected to open a new negotiation cluster.
Within EU institutions, some officials believe this is the right moment to send Serbia a positive signal by approving the opening of Cluster 3, which the European Commission has maintained for years is technically ready to move forward.
