Dutch Foreign Minister Kaspar Veldkamp announced today that the Netherlands will block the next step in Serbia’s EU membership process, citing concerns about its readiness for the next phase of accession talks.
“We see insufficient progress in the rule of law in Serbia, we see inadequate progress in the relations between Belgrade and Pristina, where Serbia has clear responsibilities, and we also see that Serbia has not yet sufficiently aligned its foreign policy with the European Union’s foreign policy,” Veldkamp said after a meeting with his colleagues in Brussels, according to Dutch news portal NL Times.
EU foreign ministers will continue consultations tomorrow in Brussels regarding the progress of candidate countries seeking EU membership. Veldkamp emphasized his desire to convince his colleagues to support his stance “so that the Netherlands does not have to stand alone.”
However, he added that the Netherlands has no problem being the only country to vote against it. “I think it is important to emphasize the rule of law. Looking at the concerning developments in Hungary and partially in Slovakia, it makes sense to impose demands on a candidate country in the field of rule of law,” said Veldkamp. He stressed that it is crucial to prevent the European Union from being weakened instead of strengthened.
Despite Serbia applying for membership 15 years ago, obtaining candidate status in March 2012, and ongoing negotiations for 11 years, Veldkamp stated that other candidate countries have done a better job in aligning with Brussels’ foreign policy and that further steps from Belgrade are expected in the coming period.
Last week, during a parliamentary debate in the Dutch parliament, it was revealed that a wide range of Dutch political parties oppose the opening of a new negotiation cluster with Serbia at this time, according to FoNet.
Member of Parliament Kati Piri proposed that “the EU accession process must be based on the results achieved, with the rule of law being an important part of that.” She pointed out that Serbia has made “insufficient progress” in this area, which was unanimously adopted by the Lower House members.
