SERBIA'S PROGRESS TOWARDS EU MEMBERSHIP WILL DEPEND ON NEW GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE

BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 4 /SRNA/ – Serbia's progress towards EU membership will depend on the efforts of the new government to reverse negative trends and prioritize fundamental issues, including democratic criteria, the judiciary and fundamental rights, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said while presenting the European Union's 2026 Enlargement Package.

The report presented by Kos states that Serbia's new government will need to restore democratic dialogue and demonstrate a clear and unequivocal commitment to EU values, including Belgrade's alignment with the EU's foreign and security policy, as well as efforts aimed at reconciliation, good neighbourly relations and normalization. Kos said that Serbia had made no significant progress in its EU accession negotiations and that this year had been marked by increased social polarization in the country, including in the pre-election context. "Although Serbia has made progress in its efforts to align with EU standards, negative trends run counter to the Union's values and Serbia's declared goal of joining the bloc, and are hindering the country's European path," Kos emphasized. She noted that Serbia's alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy remained at a low level, adding that Serbia must abide by all its obligations under the EU-facilitated Belgrade-Priština Dialogue, which remains an integral part of Belgrade's European perspective. Kos assessed that the recent parliamentary elections in Serbia had "given the new government a strong mandate for reforms".