Serbia’s Minister for European Integration, Nemanja Starović, has stated that Serbia is not facing any freeze or blockage of funds from the European Union, but rather a regular process of evaluating reforms. This comes despite the fact that Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos announced a suspension of payments under the Growth Plan.
In an interview with Radio Television of Serbia (RTS), he said that interpretations about suspended funds are the result of “incomplete information,” emphasizing that the European Commission has been clear that this is about continuous monitoring of the fulfillment of criteria.
“The European Commission is very clear that there is no issue of freezing or blocking financial resources,” Starović said.
However, an earlier statement from Commissioner Marta Kos presents a different position. She stressed that the EU has temporarily suspended all payments from the Growth Plan for Serbia due to setbacks in the judiciary sector.
“For the moment, we have suspended all payments from the Growth Plan,” Kos stated.
The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans foresees around six billion euros for the period 2024–2027, conditional on progress in reforms, particularly in the rule of law and the fight against corruption.
Despite this, Starović insists that Serbia remains a leading beneficiary in the region and that the integration process continues. He also added that, according to ministry data, support for EU membership still represents a relative majority among Serbian citizens, although it has declined compared to previous years.
