Serbia will not open Cluster 3 in its European Union accession negotiations before the end of the summer, as the issue is no longer on the agenda of key EU Council bodies ahead of the seasonal break, according to reports from Serbian media.
The decision follows the failure of EU member states to reach consensus on opening the new negotiating cluster with Belgrade earlier in July. According to information obtained by Savremena politika, no progress has been made in recent weeks toward aligning the positions of member states.
Discussions on opening Cluster 3 for Serbia are not scheduled for the final meetings of the Council’s Working Party on Enlargement (COELA) and the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) before the summer recess.
EU ambassadors failed to approve the opening of Cluster 3 for Serbia at a COREPER meeting on July 8. At least seven member states reportedly opposed the move, citing concerns over the rule of law situation in Serbia and Belgrade’s insufficient alignment with the EU’s foreign and security policy, including its refusal to introduce sanctions against Russia.
The European Commission had earlier recommended that member states approve the opening of the cluster, arguing that although Serbia had not fully met all key political priorities, it had made enough progress to move to the next stage of the accession process.
The Commission’s position was outlined in an internal information note, while the Serbian government also sent EU member states a document on July 3 as part of what it described as a diplomatic effort to demonstrate progress in the reform process.
However, several EU countries continue to link further advancement in Serbia’s accession talks to improvements in democratic standards, judicial reforms, the rule of law and stronger alignment with Brussels’ foreign policy positions.
The delay represents another setback for Serbia’s EU path, as Belgrade has been seeking to accelerate negotiations while facing growing criticism from some member states over domestic political developments and its stance on Russia.
