Mercier: EU may open third negotiating cluster for Serbia as early as July

Serbia has fulfilled key reform commitments, paving the way for negotiations on the third cluster of its EU accession process to begin as early as July, European Commission Spokesperson Guillaume Mercier said at a briefing in Brussels, Report informs.

He stated that the European Commission presented its assessment of Belgrade's recent steps to EU Member States in the context of the possible opening of the third cluster.

"Our assessment shows that Serbia has recently fulfilled important elements of the commitments it undertook at the end of 2024," Mercier said.

He noted that the European Commission has documented progress in judicial reform, improving the work of media regulators, including the REM Council, and reforming electoral legislation.

"Considering this, the Commission believes that Cluster 3 can be opened in July this year, as Serbia has made efforts on these key issues, and the necessary overall balance for such a step is currently in place," he emphasized.

At the same time, he added, the European Commission will continue to closely monitor Serbia's reform implementation and their practical implementation.

Consultations with EU ambassadors are also underway in Brussels regarding the approval of opening a new phase of negotiations on Serbia's European integration. However, a number of countries favor a more conservative approach.

Serbia received EU candidate status in 2012, and membership negotiations officially began in 2014. However, since 2021, the process has virtually stalled.

The main obstacles remain Serbia's refusal to join sanctions against Russia and its non-recognition of Kosovo's independence. These include problems with compliance with rule of law requirements, which, according to the EC, have now improved.