EC spokesperson: EU closely following the situation in Serbia

Mercier told reporters that he could not provide any further information about this week’s meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and top EU officials, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, in Brussels.

When asked whether it was time for the EU to increase pressure on Vucic’s government and if the European Commission was considering sending a mission to assess the state of the media and the rule of law in Serbia, Mercier said Union’s priority is to “support Serbia on its EU path and help it advance.”

“We have consistently underlined that we need to see credible and tangible progress on key reforms to unlock the new stages of the accession process. We believe that it is a national project that needs to be owned by everyone – the citizens, the authorities, the civil society,” said the spokesperson.

He added that, on its path to the EU, Serbia will reinforce the fight against corruption, media freedom and electoral conditions in the country, as well as ensure the independence of the judiciary, accountability of institutions, and transparency of public procurement.

All of this together will improve Serbia’s EU path, said Mercier, adding: “We will continue to work with Serbia at the technical level but also at the political level.”

Mercier said that EU representatives had not engaged in discussions with the protesting Serbian students, but that Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos recently met with members of non-governmental organizations.

“There are no plans to engage with the students. We do believe that it is for the authorities to have an inclusive dialogue with the protesters and the students, and we are not involved in that,” added Mercier.

When asked if the mass protests in Serbia have led to a change in how the EU deals with the Serbian government, Mercier said he “does not wish to speculate” on whether or not this has impacted the EU’s engagement, adding that the two sides “have a very structured channel of discussions.”

About the Jadar Project

Mercier was also asked whether the Jadar lithium mining project in western Serbia will be included on the EU list of strategic projects.

Earlier this week the European Commission adopted a list of 47 strategic projects, and this relates to projects within the EU, he said. “When it comes to the projects outside the EU, a decision will be taken in the coming weeks. I cannot confirm whether this specific project will be part of this list or not,” added the EC spokesperson.

When asked how the projects for that list are selected, EC spokesperson Lea Zuber explained that the first criterion is that a project strengthens EU’s security of supply for strategic raw materials.

“It needs to be mutually beneficial both for the Union and for the country where it takes place, and it should comply with the same level of social and environmental sustainability,” said Zuber.

In response to whether the EU takes into account the views of citizens and civil society when making the decision, especially given that 60 percent of Serbian citizens oppose the Jadar project, Zuber said that “the state that is hosting the project has to agree.” She noted that the EU also considers environmental aspects when making project decisions and added that an environmental assessment of projects outside EU countries is currently underway.