Kos: EU could withhold funds from Serbia from the 1.6 billion euro package

Reforms to centralize the judiciary that came into force this week brought criticism from judges and prosecutors who see them as bolstering Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic’s hold on power, weakening the fight against organized crime and undermining Serbia’s bid to join the EU.

“These amendments are eroding trust. It is becoming harder for those in Brussels who are willing to advance with Serbia to make their case,” Kos said in emailed comments to Reuters late on Thursday.

She said the commission was reviewing funding for Serbia under the EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, aimed at aligning the region to EU rules and ultimately bringing countries such as Serbia into the bloc. Serbia was allocated 1.6 billion euros of loans and grants under the program.

“These (funds) contain preconditions linked to the rule of law,” she said.

Serbia began official talks to join the EU in 2014 but widespread corruption and weak institutions have slowed progress, Reuters reported.

The judicial reforms include limiting the mandate of chief public prosecutors and granting court presidents - responsible for court administration - greater powers over judges. Critics fear the reforms will erode judges' independence and jeopardize high-level corruption cases overseen by the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime, Reuters said.

The government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

The Serbian Justice Ministry has said that the new laws will make the judiciary more efficient by streamlining the decision-making process. Since the backlash, Serbia has requested the opinion of the Venice Commission, a panel of constitutional law experts of the Council of Europe, a human rights body.

“Once that opinion is issued, we expect these laws to be revised accordingly and in an inclusive manner,” Kos said.