Questions about Serbia’s strategic course: How EC assesses Belgrade’s path to EU

NEWS 29.10.202410:35
Aleksandar Vučić Ursula fon der Lajen Palata Srbija
REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Serbia has not introduced sanctions against Russia and has maintained relations with that country at a high level, intensifying relations with China, which raises questions about its strategic course, reads a European Commission (EC) draft report on Serbia’s progress on the path to European Union (EU) membership.

“Serbia has not aligned with any of the EU’s restrictions against Russia or the relevant statements by the High Representative. It has maintained relations with the Russian Federation at a high level, intensifying relations with China, which raises questions about Serbia’s strategic course,” says the draft report made available to the Croatian agency Hina.

On Wednesday, the EC will publish its enlargement package whose main part are reports with assessments on progress in reforms made by EU aspirants. Progress reports are published once a year and play an important role in following the progress of candidate countries on their journey to the EU.

Serbia has also not adopted a number of other statements by the EU High Representative and introduced restrictions against China, Belarus, Iran, North Korea and Venezuela, with flights to Russia having become more frequent, the report says.

“The country is expected to gradually align with EU policies regarding third countries, including restrictions,” the draft report says.

However, it notes that Serbia has continued to cooperate with the EU in efforts to prevent non-compliance with sanctions and to provide financial and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Public space open to war criminals and genocide denial

Serbia is expected to improve results in war crimes prosecution, the report says, noting that the country continues to avoid indicting high-ranking suspects and that trials last too long.

Serbia should make steps to speed up war crimes prosecution and resolve more than 1,700 cases that are in the pretrial phase, according to the report.

Serbia has continued to cooperate with the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, successor to the Hague war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). As regards war crimes, cooperation has continued with Bosnia and Herzegovina while little progress has been recorded in cooperation with Croatia and Kosovo.

Serbia is yet to demonstrate sincere commitment to investigating and prosecuting war crimes. A number of Serbian political parties, politicians and media continue to provide support and publicity to convicted war criminals and negate war crimes, including the Srebrenica genocide, without repercussions, the draft report says.

The report also points to the large number of persons gone missing in the 1990s conflicts in the Western Balkans. Despite constant progress in identification, 7,608 persons are still unaccounted for, the draft report reads, calling for making further effort at the regional level through the group for missing persons established in 2018 as part of the Berlin Process in order to strengthen cooperation, as well as at the bilateral level.

Many arrive in Serbia as tourists and try to illegally enter the EU

Serbia has still not aligned with the EU’s visa policy despite constant calls to do so. Belgrade has a visa-free regime with 16 countries whose nationals need visas to enter the EU. Alignment with the EU visa regime is very important for reducing the pressure of illegal migrations. Many illegal migrants arrive in Serbia as tourists, after which they try to cross illegally into the EU and seek asylum. Serbia has a visa-free regime mostly with the countries that have not recognized Kosovo’s independence.

Good relations with neighbors, “ad hoc” antagonisms with Croatia

As for bilateral relations, the draft report notes that Serbia remains committed to maintaining good bilateral relations with other countries from the enlargement process and neighboring EU countries. Its relations with Croatia continue to be marked by ad hoc antagonistic public exchanges and protest notes.

Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina are good and generally stable even though the UN resolution on Srebrenica has caused political tensions, the report says, noting that senior Serbian officials attend events commemorating the unlawful Republika Srpska Day, 9 January.