EU-Serbia JCC calls Belgrade to commit to EU accession

A declaration issued after the meeting called the Serbian authorities to carefully analyse the latest European Commission progress report and establish a clear roadmap for action to take in the future, maintain EU integration as a major strategic goal and communicate more actively to raise the public’s awareness of the benefits and strengths of EU membership, as opposed to alternative third country partnerships.

“The JCC considers that Serbia has an important role to play in ensuring security, stability and prosperity of the region. It therefore has to clarify its foreign policy stances, and resolve its outstanding regional issues,” the declaration said and called Serbia and Kosovo to overcome antagonism which is holding them back.

The declaration said that Serbia has to genuinely adhere to the EU values and principles, and align its foreign policy and rhetoric accordingly, in regard to Russia, China, Iran, or other anti-democratic regimes.

It expressed deep concern over the rise of violence in Serbia which culminated with the mass shootings in May which revealed the consistent promotion of violence and hate speech by dominant media outlets. It said the public protests showed the need for profound change in society. The declaration said that the authorities should promote inclusive dialogue channels instead of institutional and non-institutional intimidations and threats.

According to the JCC, the newly adopted laws on Public Information and the Media and on Electronic Media diverge from the national Media Strategy and could seriously threaten the already weak media pluralism and freedom of information, as they do not provide transparency in media ownership and legalise state ownership of the media, nor full independence and accountability of the Regulatory Electronic Media Body (REM). It called European institutions to support and to the Serbian authorities to urgently proceed to the attribution of the fifth national frequency with the objective to obtain media pluralism necessary in the current media landscape.

“The JCC notes that cases of threats and violence against journalists remain a major concern, with insufficient protection mechanisms. The JCC strongly condemns the growing problem of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) targeting journalists, human rights defenders and civil society representatives and their organisations, putting great pressure on the media's financial and human resources capacities. It calls on the authorities to improve the capacity of the Serbian judiciary to apply international and regional standards on freedom of expression in defamation and SLAPP cases,” the declaration said.

It called the Serbian authorities to ensure free and fair parliamentary and local elections on December 17, 2023, by enhancing legal certainty and providing equal opportunities for electoral contestants, through allowing independent verifications of electoral registers, equal access to media and to public resources, transparent electoral process, adequate campaigning, just media coverage, and prevention of fraud and manipulation. “The JCC calls on all political actors in Serbia to refrain from spreading fear and threats as regards potential election results,” it said.

“The JCC strongly regrets that civic space in Serbia remains obstructed and calls on the Serbian authorities to prevent or sanction the identified attacks on representatives of civil society and smear campaigns. The JCC urges the authorities to spare no effort in securing a real, genuine, enabling environment for organised civil society and social partners in Serbia,” it said.

The declaration called the authorities to demonstrate real political dedication in the fight against all types of discrimination, including minority and vulnerable groups in Serbia and effectively implement the action plans on gender equality and Roma inclusion, and strengthen Serbian human rights institutions.