Serbia has fully implemented only three of the 24 recommendations issued by the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), according to a report published on August 18.
The report states that 10 recommendations have been only partially implemented, while 11 have not been implemented at all.
GRECO therefore expressed concern, noting that since its previous Compliance Report in July 2024, “no concrete results have been achieved.”
Among other issues, GRECO found that chiefs of cabinet and advisers are still not covered by Serbia’s Law on the Prevention of Corruption, while integrity checks remain absent from the appointment process for ministers, chiefs of cabinet and advisers.
Serbia has also failed to adopt a code of conduct applicable to people holding the highest executive positions, while there is still no document establishing standards of conduct for the President of the Republic.
GRECO acknowledged the adoption of Serbia’s National Anti-Corruption Strategy for 2024–2028 as significant progress, but stressed that a separate strategic document addressing corruption prevention among senior executive officials has still not been developed.
The Council of Europe body has asked the head of Serbia’s delegation to the Council of Europe to submit a report on progress in implementing the outstanding recommendations by the end of June 2027.
Government officials still protected by immunity
GRECO also highlighted concerns over the immunity enjoyed by members of the Serbian government, noting that corruption offences are not excluded from the scope of that immunity.
It further pointed out that the jurisdiction of Serbia’s Organised Crime Prosecutor’s Office over offences against official duty still does not cover all senior executive officials, including the President of the Republic.
GRECO expressed particular concern over the lack of progress on amendments to Serbia’s Law on the Prevention of Corruption and Law on Lobbying, saying the legislative process has made no significant progress for almost three years.
Police oversight remains a problem
The report also raises serious concerns about the lack of independent external oversight of the Serbian police.
More than 1,700 complaints were reportedly filed in 2024, an increase of 17 percent from the previous year. Yet only 127 cases resulted in findings of shortcomings in police conduct.
GRECO stressed that the complaint procedure is largely handled by the police and the Ministry of Internal Affairs itself, meaning it “does not represent a form of external oversight.”
The organisation also noted that several planned anti-corruption measures within the police have yet to be implemented, including regular security checks, improved recruitment procedures and staff rotation in areas considered particularly vulnerable to corruption.
No formal cooperation with the Anti-Corruption Agency
GRECO further found that cooperation between Serbia’s government and its Anti-Corruption Agency has still not been formalised, while the agency continues to lack sufficient human resources.
Although the agency continued monitoring asset and income declarations of senior executive officials in 2024, GRECO noted that its planned inspections for 2025 shifted toward declarations submitted by MPs, judges and public prosecutors.
The bigger picture
The GRECO assessment paints a troubling picture of Serbia’s progress in combating corruption: only 3 of 24 recommendations fully implemented, 11 ignored entirely, and no concrete results since the previous assessment.
For a country seeking European Union membership, these findings raise serious questions about the credibility of its rule-of-law reforms and the political will to tackle corruption at the highest levels of government.
