TABLE OF CONTENTS

1............ Introduction. 3

1.1......... Preface. 3

1.2......... Context 3

1.3......... Relations between the EU and Serbia. 3

1.4......... Normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo. 5

2............ Political criteria. 6

2.1......... Democracy and the rule of law.. 7

2.2......... Human rights and the protection of minorities. 13

2.3......... Regional issues and international obligations. 14

3............ Economic criteria. 16

3.1......... The existence of a functioning market economy. 16

3.2......... The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union. 21

4............ Ability to take on the obligations of membership. 22

4.1......... Chapter 1: Free movement of goods. 22

4.2......... Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers. 24

4.3......... Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services. 24

4.4......... Chapter 4: Free movement of capital 24

4.5......... Chapter 5: Public procurement 25

4.6......... Chapter 6: Company law.. 26

4.7......... Chapter 7: Intellectual property law.. 26

4.8......... Chapter 8: Competition policy. 27

4.9......... Chapter 9: Financial services. 27

4.10....... Chapter 10: Information society and media. 28

4.11....... Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development 29

4.12....... Chapter 12: Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy. 30

4.13....... Chapter 13: Fisheries. 31

4.14....... Chapter 14: Transport policy. 31

4.15....... Chapter 15: Energy. 32

4.16....... Chapter 16: Taxation. 34

4.17....... Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy. 34

4.18....... Chapter 18: Statistics. 35

4.19....... Chapter 19: Social policy and employment 35

4.20....... Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy. 37

4.21....... Chapter 21: Trans-European networks. 38

4.22....... Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments. 39

4.23....... Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights. 39

4.24....... Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security. 50

4.25....... Chapter 25: Science and research. 55

4.26....... Chapter 26: Education and culture. 55

4.27....... Chapter 27: Environment and climate change. 56

4.28....... Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection. 58

4.29....... Chapter 29: Customs union. 59

4.30....... Chapter 30: External relations. 60

4.31....... Chapter 31: Foreign, security and defence policy. 61

4.32....... Chapter 32: Financial control 61

4.33....... Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions. 62

Statistical Annex. 64

1. Introduction 1.1. Preface

The Commission reports regularly to the Council and Parliament on the progress made by the countries of the Western Balkans region towards European integration, assessing their efforts to comply with the Copenhagen criteria and the conditionality of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

This progress report, which largely follows the same structure as in previous years:

– briefly describes the relations between Serbia and the European Union;

– analyses the situation in Serbia in terms of the political criteria for membership;

– analyses the situation in Serbia on the basis of the economic criteria for membership;

– reviews Serbia’s capacity to take on the obligations of membership, i.e. the acquis expressed in the Treaties, the secondary legislation, and the policies of the European Union.

This report covers the period from October 2013 to September 2014. Progress is measured on the basis of decisions taken, legislation adopted and measures implemented. As a rule, legislation or measures which are under preparation or awaiting parliamentary approval have not been taken into account. This approach ensures equal treatment across all reports and enables an objective assessment.

The report is based on information gathered and analysed by the Commission. Many sources have been used, including contributions from the government of Serbia, the EU Member States, European Parliament reports[1] and information from various international and non-governmental organisations.

The Commission draws detailed conclusions regarding Serbia in its separate communication on enlargement,[2] based on the technical analysis contained in this report.

1.2. Context

The European Council granted the status of candidate country to Serbia in March 2012 and decided to open accession negotiations in June 2013. Accession negotiations were formally launched in January 2014. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between Serbia and the EU entered into force in September 2013.

1.3. Relations between the EU and Serbia

Following the adoption of the framework for accession negotiations with Serbia by the Council in December 2013, the first Intergovernmental Conference with Serbia was held in January 2014. The analytical examination of the EU acquis (screening process) started in September 2013. In line with the new approach for the chapters on judiciary and fundamental rights, together with justice, freedom and security, the screening meetings for these chapters took place from September to December 2013. 15 chapters have been fully screened and screening of 9 more chapters have started. Overall, the screening exercise is expected to be completed in 2015.

Serbia is participating in the Stabilisation and Association Process.

Following the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), the inaugural Stabilisation Association (SA) Council met in October 2013. Serbia has continued to build a satisfactory track record in implementing the obligations of the SAA. The protocol on the adaptation of the SAA, to take account of Croatia’s accession to the EU, was signed in June 2014; pending its ratification, the protocol is applied on a provisional basis with effect from 1 August 2014. Further efforts are needed in particular in the area of state aid control, especially to ensure the operational independence of the Serbian Commission for State Aid Control and to repeal the exemption of enterprises under privatisation from state aid rules.

Regular political and economic dialogue between the EU and the country has continued. The SA Committee met in March and seven sub-committee meetings were held. Serbia participates in the multilateral economic dialogue with the Commission and EU Member States to prepare the country for participation in multilateral surveillance and EU economic policy coordination. As part of the new approach to economic governance, this exercise resulted in a number of targeted policy recommendations endorsed by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in May. Serbia is expected to follow up on these recommendations in the course of the year. A Special Group on Public Administration Reform was established under the SAA.

The SA Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) met for the first time in November 2013 in Belgrade. The composition of the EU-Serbia Inter-Parliamentary Committee was renewed in May. The European Parliament adopted an opinion on the Commission’s progress report on Serbia in January. Local and regional representatives from the EU countries and Serbia met in May in the framework of the Committee of the Regions’ Working Group on the Western Balkans to discuss EU-Serbia relations, their impact on the role of local authorities and the state of local democracy in the process of EU accession. In December, the Serbian parliament adopted a resolution on its role in the accession negotiations.

Visa liberalisation for citizens of Serbia travelling to the Schengen area has been in force since December 2009. As part of the monitoring mechanism in place since visa liberalisation, the Commission has been regularly assessing the progress made by the country in implementing reforms introduced under the visa roadmap. The monitoring mechanism also includes an alert mechanism to prevent abuses, coordinated by Frontex. The Commission has regularly submitted its post-visa liberalisation monitoring reports to the European Parliament and the Council. The next report will be presented by the end of 2014. A visa-waiver suspension mechanism entered into force in January 2014. On this basis, EU Member States can request the Commission, in an emergency situation and as a measure of last resort, to examine the possibility of temporarily suspending the visa waiver for third-country nationals. A readmission agreement between the European Union and Serbia has been in force since 2008.

The EU has provided financial assistance to Serbia under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) for the period 2007-2013, with a total allocation to Serbia of € 1.4 billion. The IPA National Programme 2013 amounts to € 178.8 million overall with most of the funding supporting justice and home affairs, private sector development, and environment, climate change and energy.

In March, the Commission granted conferral of management powers to Serbia. Part of the IPA 2013 national programme will be implemented for the first time under decentralised management by the national authorities.

Under IPA II, Serbia will continue to benefit from pre-accession assistance for the period 2014-2020 with a total indicative allocation of € 1.5 billion. An indicative strategy paper for the years 2014-2020, drafted in partnership with Serbia and in consultation with all relevant stakeholders, was adopted by the Commission in August. Over this period, IPA will aim at supporting reform efforts in direct line with the negotiation process, in particular in the area of rule of law and governance, as well as competitiveness and growth, including key investments for economic development.

In July, the Commission hosted a donors’ conference for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, co-organised with France and Slovenia. Total pledges for Serbia amounted to € 986 million of grants and soft loans out of which € 80 million grants from the EU budget.

Serbia continues to benefit from support under the IPA multi-country and regional programmes and to participate in cross-border cooperation programmes with neighbouring Western Balkan countries and in trans-national cooperation programmes with Member States under the European Regional Development Fund and the IPA Adriatic cross-border programme.

Serbia participates in the following EU programmes: the Seventh Research Framework Programme, Progress, the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme, Culture, Safer Internet, Lifelong Learning, Europe for Citizens, Customs and Fiscalis. Serbia has also recently concluded or is in the process of concluding new agreements for a number of programmes, including: Horizon 2020, Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, Erasmus+, Creative Europe and Employment and Social Innovation. Serbia has applied for observer status in the EU Fundamental Rights Agency.

1.4. Normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo*

Serbia and Kosovo have remained engaged in the EU-facilitated dialogue, but progress has markedly slowed down since March 2014. Early general elections were held in Serbia in March and in Kosovo in June. Six high-level meetings attended by both Prime Ministers were held between September 2013 and March 2014. Work continued throughout the reporting period at technical level.

As a result of intense work in the first months of the reporting period there has been progress in the implementation of the agreements reached in the dialogue, in particular the April 2013 ‘First agreement of principles governing the normalisation of relations’. For the first time, local elections were held Kosovo wide with the facilitation of the OSCE in November 2013 (and repeated in North Mitrovica in February 2014) and, again for the first time, municipalities in the north of Kosovo were inaugurated in conformity with Kosovo law. Kosovo Serbs from both north and south of the Ibar river took part in the early general elections in June 2014. The establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities is still pending. There has been progress in the dismantling of the Serbian structures on police and justice. Serbia took measures to facilitate the integration of the police and judiciary following the adoption of an amnesty law by Kosovo. Integration has been completed as concerns police officers, while integration of other Serbian Ministry of Interior personnel is still pending. An agreement in principle has been reached regarding the judiciary, but its finalisation and implementation are still pending. Integration of civil protection personnel is also pending.

Some progress has been made in other important areas. Serbia played a constructive role in ensuring Kosovo’s participation in the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) at the Bucharest summit in June 2014. Nevertheless, the implementation of the agreement on representation and participation of Kosovo in regional forums continued to be problematic. Preparation for the implementation of the energy and telecoms agreements reached in September 2013 has continued, leading up, in the energy sector, to the signing of an inter-TSO agreement, together with the approval of an action plan, in September 2014.

As concerns the north of Kosovo, a development fund has been set up to collect revenue at the northern crossing points. It has received over € 2.9 million to date, but its board has yet to decide on its use. Implementation of the freedom of movement arrangements has allowed the use of Serbian and Kosovo ID cards by residents to enter and exit both Serbia and Kosovo. An agreement was reached to allow residents in Kosovo to use their ID cards to travel to third countries through Serbia via six border crossing points. The setting-up of new roadblocks on the north side of the main Mitrovica bridge in June 2014 increased tensions. Despite an agreement by both sides on the need for a joint solution, the roadblocks known as the ‘Peace Park’ are still in place. Kosovo and Serbian insurance bureaus have defined the parameters for a commercial agreement on mutual vehicle insurance cover between Serbia and Kosovo. This progress should now be confirmed by means of a signed agreement.

Implementation of other agreements has continued, albeit at a slower pace. Regarding IBM, the six joint interim crossing points have continued to be operational and technical agreements on the exact locations and on draft layouts of the permanent IBM crossing points were reached. However, illegal crossing roads/ by-passes, in particular in the north of Kosovo, continue to be regularly used to smuggle substantial amounts of goods, as reported by EULEX. Additional measures need to be taken by Serbia to stop illegal crossings.

As concerns cadastre, Serbia continues to implement the pilot project, but legislation necessary to implement the agreement is still pending in Kosovo. The copying of Kosovo civil registry books located in Serbia has been successfully completed. The implementation of the agreement on acceptance of university diplomas has had limited results. The certification of diplomas by the European University Association has progressed well and 387 diplomas have been certified. However, Serbia has accepted only five certified diplomas so far, following an additional nostrification process. The deployment of liaison officers has had limited impact.

Serbia has continued to cooperate with EULEX, especially on war crimes, but legal cooperation on the fight against organised crime needs to improve significantly. Criticism of the handling by EULEX of several criminal cases against Kosovo Serbs is counterproductive. The Serbian authorities should refrain from statements undermining the rule of law. Kosovo needs to continue the good cooperation with EULEX.

The Serbia Constitutional Court judged the form in which some dialogue agreements have been transposed unconstitutional. Serbia needs to find legal solutions for the implementation of agreements that are sustainable over time and not vulnerable to legal challenges.

Overall, Serbia and Kosovo have remained engaged in the dialogue and committed to the implementation of the April 2013 First agreement of principles governing the normalisation of relations and other agreements reached in the dialogue, leading to irreversible changes on the ground. However, progress has slowed down. Early general elections were held in both Serbia and Kosovo. New momentum needs to be generated to tackle key outstanding issues and open a new phase in the normalisation of relations. Progress in this area remains essential for advancing the European future of both Serbia and Kosovo.

2. Political criteria

This section examines the progress made by Serbia towards meeting the Copenhagen political criteria, which require stability of institutions guaranteeing democracy, the rule of law, human rights and respect for and protection of minorities. It also monitors regional cooperation, good neighbourly relations with enlargement countries and Member States and compliance with international obligations, such as cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.

2.1. Democracy and the rule of law

Constitution

The Constitution is largely in line with European standards. Some provisions remain to be put in line with the recommendations of the Venice Commission, in particular concerning the role of parliament in judicial appointments, the political parties’ control over parliamentary office, the independence of key institutions and the protection of fundamental rights, including data protection.

Overall, constitutional changes should be considered early on in the new legislature, to address issues of importance for the accession negotiations from the outset.

Elections

The coalition agreed to hold early parliamentary elections in March, together with a by-election in Belgrade. The turnout was 53 %. The list of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by Aleksandar Vučić, obtained a majority, with 158 seats out of 250, and the list of its main coalition partner, the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), led by outgoing Prime Minister Ivica Dačić, obtained 44 seats. Of the opposition parties, the Democratic Party (DS) obtained 19 seats, while 18 seats went to the New Democratic Party (NDS), newly founded by former president Boris Tadić. Three parties representing national minorities obtained eleven seats. None of the parties critical of the EU reached the necessary threshold of 5 %. Women continue to comprise a third of all MPs. The opposition chairs 4 committees out of 19 standing committees, including the one on European integration.

According to international observation bodies, the elections were inclusive and transparent, with a genuine choice offered to voters and effective procedures. The campaign was peaceful overall, although isolated incidents and cases of voter intimidation were reported. The legal framework is generally in line with international standards. The OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) noted that some of its previous recommendations remained unaddressed, in particular those pertaining to transparency of campaign financing and of the electoral process. It also found that media reporting was insufficiently analytical and was influenced by the political parties in power, including through public funding, which led to widespread media self-censorship. A review by the Anti-Corruption Agency of electoral campaign financing faced a lack of government cooperation in providing the data necessary to scrutinise possible misuse of public funding for election purposes.

Overall, elections were inclusive and transparent, with a genuine choice offered to voters and effective procedures. Attention should be given early on in the new legislature to the OSCE/ODIHR recommendations with a view to revising the electoral framework and provisions on financing political parties and electoral campaigns before the next elections.

Parliament

Early elections in March meant that institutional activity in parliament was suspended from January until April but it regained momentum as of May and parliament enacted several important laws, including on labour, bankruptcy, privatisation and on media. All were however adopted under urgent procedure with limited possibility for parliamentary debate. Parliament adopted a resolution in December 2013 aiming at its close involvement in the accession negotiations process, together with other stakeholders, including civil society, and a decision in August further regulating the internal consultation procedure on government draft negotiating positions. Regarding its oversight activities, parliament remained engaged in public hearings and oral questions. In April, the ad hoc enquiry committee on Serbian budget spending in Kosovo issued its report, which remains to be debated and followed up in plenary. The already extensive use of urgent procedures, which limit the time for scrutiny of draft legislation, further increased, in part to make up for the time lost because of early elections. A smoother and more trusting relationship has yet to be established with independent regulatory bodies and a more proactive approach taken to examine and promote their findings and recommendations, including by organising an effective debate on their reports. Allocation of resources should not be misused by parliament to exert control over these bodies.

Overall, the legislative activity was partly held up by the early elections but regained momentum afterwards, albeit with a further increase in the use of urgent procedures. Parliament continued to perform oversight activities but still needs to develop a genuine relationship with independent regulatory bodies, supporting their independence and promoting their findings.

Government

Following the early parliamentary elections, the new government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić (SNS) took office at the end of April, renewing the coalition between the SNS, SPS lists, and extending it to the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians and other junior parties. The government is based on an unprecedented wide majority of close to 80 % of seats in parliament. It consists of 19 ministers, including four women. A deputy prime minister now oversees public administration and local self-government, while there is no longer a minister in charge of Kosovo. The new government remains fully committed to EU integration and to continuing the EU-facilitated dialogue with Pristina; it aims as a priority to conduct an ambitious economic reform programme and to further intensify the reforms relating to the rule of law, in particular the reform of the judiciary, fight against corruption and organised crime.

Under the leadership of its Chief Negotiator and with the effective support of the Serbian European Integration Office (SEIO), the Serbian government has so far demonstrated a high level of preparedness and engagement in the screening process of the EU acquis. A National Convention on the European Union was set up as a platform for cooperation with civil society in the accession negotiation process in June. It gathers around 200 civil society organisations structured in 21 working groups, covering all 35 negotiating chapters. In February, the government adopted an action plan to address the findings of the 2013 Progress Report and in July revised the National Plan for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA) for the period 2014-2018. Further efforts are needed to ensure closer and consistent involvement of parliament and civil society in the accession process. Greater coordination of sectoral policies and anticipation of their financial implications will be key ingredients in a coherent approach to the negotiations.

Although public consultations have been slightly further developed in the legislative process, they remain to be conducted more extensively and under more realistic timelines to enable interested parties to provide qualitative input. This is especially needed for draft legislations of high economic and social impact to improve the social dialogue, which has deteriorated over the reporting period. Effective monitoring of the implementation of enacted legislation and strategic documents needs to be strengthened with a view to anticipating and addressing delays and bottlenecks. The government still needs to develop its understanding of the role of independent regulatory bodies and to guarantee that these bodies have appropriate resources to perform their role effectively. Finally, systematic follow-up of their findings should be ensured.

As regards local self-government, a revised Statute for Vojvodina was proclaimed in May as a result of a consensual and collaborative process in the state parliament and the provincial assembly, effectively following up the Constitutional Court ruling of December. The law on Vojvodina’s resources has yet to be adopted as prescribed by the Constitution. Administrative and management capacity at local level remains weak and significant disparities between municipalities persist. The National Council for Decentralisation and the inter-ministerial Municipal Finance Commission remained inactive and none of the tools needed to monitor functions delegated to municipalities have so far been developed. The legislation on municipal finance needs to be properly implemented with regard to calculation of the transfers earmarked by line ministries. Consultation of local authorities on new legislation that has local implications remains limited.

Overall, the Serbian government remained actively engaged towards the goal of EU accession throughout the last period, irrespective of early elections in March and demonstrated preparedness and engagement in the first phase of the negotiations process. Involvement of the parliament and other stakeholders, including the civil society, needs to be strengthened. Independent regulatory bodies’ recommendations need to receive proper follow-up and their independence needs to be fully respected. The government needs to develop its capacity to anticipate the financial implications of policies and new legislation and to effectively monitor the implementation of enacted legislation. The legal framework for local self-government remains to be improved and further implemented.

Public administration

With the adoption of a new public administration reform strategy in January 2014, Serbia has a more comprehensive strategic framework for public administration reform in place. The strategy covers organisational policy at central and local level, including decentralisation; policy planning and coordination; e-government; public service and human resources management; public financial management relating to budgeting, internal control and public procurement; legal certainty and public services, including administrative procedures; transparency and openness of the public administration. The strategy needs to be accompanied by the identification of activities in an action plan, which is being finalised under the leadership of the new Ministry of State Administration and Local Government in cooperation with all key stakeholders. As concerns political leadership for the reform, the Public Administration Reform Council met in August 2014 in a renewed composition under the leadership of the Prime Minister. A special group on PAR was established as a forum for policy dialogue between the Commission and Serbia in the framework of the SAA.

The recent establishment of the Secretariat for Public Policies has the potential to substantially improve policy development and coordination at the centre of government. This area has presented a considerable challenge to Serbia, not the least in Serbia’s EU accession process. There are weak links between the government’s programme and its annual work plan, and a lack of consistency among ministries’ policies and plans. Serbia has an excessive number of national strategies (91 sector and 14 multi-sector strategies) of varying quality and with frequent overlaps. Neither strategies nor action plans usually contain assessments of their impact on the national budget. Regulatory impact assessments are also underdeveloped. Laws are often passed without a sufficiently comprehensive assessment of the policy and budgetary impact, resulting into inefficiencies in the implementation and enforcement of legislation.

Concerning public service and human resources management, recruitment, both for senior and middle management positions, continues to be an issue of serious concern, as, in 2013, a substantial proportion of recruitments (60 %) was not based on open competitions. The current legal framework and its uneven application leave room for undue influence in the recruitment process. Administrative and management capacity at local level continues to be weak and significant disparities between municipalities persist. In the absence of specific legislative framework, public employees at local level are governed by general labour legislation. Training needs to be given more importance in professional development. The civil service legal framework is being revised. Amendments to laws regulating the state administration and public services were introduced in September, as an initial step towards further progress in the establishment of an adequate merit-based civil service system, as regards selection, appointment, training, evaluation, remuneration and dismissal of civil servants and other state employees. Substantial changes in recruitment practices are needed to establish a merit-based professional public administration both at central and local level. This should include well defined criteria for appraisal and career development for civil servants. Internal control should be reinforced. Laws regulating the status of local government employees and their salaries, and the training strategy for local government, are still pending. Independent regulatory bodies still lack a consistent regulatory framework for their establishment and functioning in the area of human resources.

There has been no progress with regard to accountability and service delivery. A new Law on General Administrative Procedures remains to be adopted. The Law on Administrative Disputes has not yet been fully aligned with European standards for judicial review of administrative acts.

Serbia is committed to engaging in a more comprehensive public financial management reform. This area is acknowledged to be an important aspect of public administration reform and is partly covered under the new public administration reform strategy. The Ministry of Finance has engaged in a public expenditure and financial accountability assessment and is in parallel preparing a public financial management reform programme which aims to sequence the reform actions in different parts of the public finance system. The reform programme is expected to address a number of challenges that Serbia faces, including improvement of revenue administration and tax collection, transition to a medium-term expenditure framework and multi-year programme budgeting, more efficiency in debt management policy, in accounting and reporting, in public procurement, in public internal financial control, anti-fraud measures and external audit.

Overall, the adoption of the new public administration reform strategy, a new dedicated Ministry for Public Administration and Local Government, and the increased focus on policy planning and coordination following the establishment of the Secretariat for Public Policies, represent initial positive steps towards more efficient public administration. Sound implementation of the reform strategy together with strong political impetus and mechanisms are needed to move towards a transparent and merit-based public service system. Lack of transparency in recruitment and politicisation of public administration employees remain an issue of concern. Serbia has started to take steps towards a more comprehensive public financial management reform programme in order to ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness in the use of public funds.

Ombudsman

The State Ombudsman continued to be active and recorded an increase in the number of citizens’ complaints, related mostly to economic, social and cultural rights and administrative procedures. There was a decline in the follow-up of the Ombudsman’s recommendations by the authorities, especially those requiring systematic changes. The constitutional position of the Ombudsman needs strengthening. The Ombudsman should be allocated sufficient resources and, in general, his office’s independence needs to be better respected and understood.

Civilian oversight of the security forces

The parliamentary committee for oversight of the security forces extended its regular review of activities to the reports of the Inspector General of the Ministry of Defence, beyond the ones of the Security-Information Agency (the BIA) and military services. In November, the committee held a joint closed session with the committee for defence and internal affairs about the activities of extremist organisations and sport hooligans. The committee had a field visit to BIA in July 2014. Following a Constitutional Court ruling in December, the Law on the BIA was amended in June to give judges responsibility for making decisions on exceptions to the principle of absolute confidentiality of letters and other means of communication. The Ombudsman reiterated the need to adopt a new law on the BIA, to review the current regulations giving the security services responsibilities for criminal proceedings and the use of special measures. A law on access to state security files still needs to be adopted.

Civil society

An empowered civil society is a crucial component of any democratic system and should be recognised and treated as such by the state institutions. The civil society sector in Serbia has continued to grow, especially at local level. Civil society organisations and human rights defenders continued to play a key role in raising awareness about civil and political rights in a climate often hostile to their activities, in particular when they express critical views. Their activities took place against increased campaigns often targeting individuals in tabloid media and threats from extremist organisations. A more visible political commitment to promoting a culture of respect and raising awareness is needed. The authorities have taken steps to involve civil society in the accession process at regular intervals. A National Convention on the European Union was set up as a platform for cooperation with civil society in the accession negotiation process in June. The Office for Cooperation with Civil Society improved its management capacity and played an important role in ensuring civil society participation in the screening process. The government adopted in August guidelines for the participation of civil society in the legislative process. Those instruments and mechanisms need to be consistently implemented throughout, and the transparency over public budget expenditure for civil society increased.

Judicial system

First steps were taken in the implementation of the 2013-2018 strategy on judicial reform and its related action plan, aiming at ensuring structural and sustainable changes with a view to an impartial, independent and efficient judiciary. Intensive legislative activities took place. Appraisal rules for judges and prosecutors were adopted. An important number of Court Presidents were appointed on a permanent basis. The implementation of the new public notaries system remains to be further assessed. Several important laws (i.e. on free legal aid and on mutual legal assistance) and constitutional amendments remain to be adopted. Delays in adopting key measures under the implementing action plan reveal the urgent need for effective implementation of the reforms backed by strong monitoring and coordination mechanisms. The Strategy Implementation Commission, which should be instrumental in moving forward the judicial reform, needs to play a more proactive role so as to anticipate delays in implementation and to adopt corrective measures in due time.

Considerable challenges remain regarding independence, impartiality, accountability, efficiency and access to justice, including primarily through the revision of the Constitution. Attention should further focus on (i) adopting clear rules for the appointment of Court Presidents, (ii) implementing merit-based recruitment (iii) tackling the significant backlog of cases and adopting a case weighting methodology allowing for equal and fair distribution of cases. Beyond legal steps, significant efforts are required to back these reforms with appropriate financial resources to produce effective results.

Finally, inclusive consultation of major stakeholders and main users of the judiciary system is not systematically ensured. Such consultation would contribute to reinforcing the accountability and independence of the judiciary as a whole and to ensure ownership of the new reforms by main practitioners.

Serbia’s ability to deliver on the implementation of the national judicial reform strategy and action plan in good time and to enforce clear measures conducive to a more predictable and sustainable judicial environment will provide a clear indication of its ability to move forward on its path to accession.

For a detailed analysis of the developments in the judicial system, see Chapter 23 — Judiciary and fundamental rights.

Fight against corruption

There is a strong political impetus to fight corruption. Serbia further implemented the recommendations of the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO). The implementation of the national strategy on the fight against corruption for the period 2013-2018 and its related action plan have yet to mirror the strong political impetus to fight corruption. Several measures were delayed and key developments are expected in the short to medium term, in particular laws on whistle-blower protection and legislative changes in the field of conflicts of interest. Monitoring and coordination mechanisms for the implementation of the national anti-corruption strategy and action plan have yet to yield results. A track record on effective verification of asset declarations and checks on party funding needs to be established. Corruption remains prevalent in many areas. Significant efforts are needed not only to enhance and fully enforce the legal framework for the fight against corruption but also to back these reforms with appropriate resources. Inclusiveness of stakeholders throughout the process should be guaranteed.

The new inter-ministerial coordination mechanism put in place in August is a positive initial step but its impact on the ground remains to be assessed. Attention needs to be paid to providing the Anti-Corruption Agency and Anti-Corruption Council with sufficient resources and to ensuring the follow-up to their proposals and recommendations.

Final convictions, especially for high-level corruption, remain rare. Further efforts are needed to establish a convincing track record of investigation, prosecution and final convictions. A sustainable solution is needed to address the excessive recourse to the provision on abuse of position in the private sector in the criminal code. The review of the economic section of the criminal code needs to be completed without delay.

Finally, repeated leaks to the media about ongoing investigations, in breach of the presumption of innocence, are an issue of serious concern.

For a detailed analysis of developments in the area of anti-corruption policy, see Chapter 23 — Judiciary and fundamental rights.

Fight against organised crime

Serbia actively participated in regional law enforcement cooperation, which led to effective results in the fight against organised crime and in particular to a high-profile arrest in connection with organised crime groups. However, there is no overarching strategic threat assessment of organised crime in the country and final convictions remain rare. Additional efforts are needed to systematically carry out financial investigations in parallel with complex criminal investigations. Intelligence-led policing based on crime mapping and systematic use of threat assessments remain to be developed. The dependence of the police on the security and intelligence agencies to carry out certain special investigative measures in criminal investigations remains a matter of serious concern and should be addressed urgently.

The witness protection unit needs adequate staff, equipment and premises to be fully operational and create a confidence-building environment for witnesses and victims. Serbia remains a country of origin, transit and destination for trafficking in human beings, and for sexual and labour exploitation. Both the institutional framework and shelter capacity should be considerably enhanced to ensure that the fight against trafficking in human beings is deterrent and sustainable. Finally, thorough rationalisation of the Ministry of Interior, including reorganisation of its human resources management, is advisable to increase efficiency in fighting crime. The introduction of transparent and merit-based criteria for recruitment and career advancement is crucial, as is more specialised training. Organised crime remains a serious concern in Serbia.

For a detailed analysis of developments in the fight against organised crime, see Chapter 24 — Justice, freedom and security.

2.2. Human rights and the protection of minorities

The legislative and institutional framework for observance of international human rights law is in place. Sustained efforts are needed from Serbian authorities to ensure its implementation.

Three laws under the media strategy have been adopted with a view to improving the situation in the media sector and clarifying the legal framework, particularly in relation to state financing and control of the media. However, there are concerns about deteriorating conditions for the full exercise of freedom of expression. A continued lack of transparency over media ownership and sources of media advertising and funding was accompanied by a tendency to self-censorship in the media. The authorities have an important responsibility to work to create an enabling environment in which this fundamental freedom can be exercised without hindrance, including by reacting to and publicly condemning threats, physical assaults and cases of incitement to violence and hate speech from extremist groups against civil society organisations (CSOs), human rights defenders, journalists and bloggers.

The holding of the pride parade in Belgrade on 28 September without major incident marked a substantial step towards the effective exercise in Serbia of human rights in general and LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) rights in particular. Notwithstanding the government’s good preparatory work for this event, enhanced political support for the promotion of fundamental freedoms is needed. There is also a need for a consistent and visible political commitment to promoting a culture of respect towards the LGBTI community. Discriminatory statements, intimidation and violence still occur without substantial political reaction nor appropriate follow-up by authorities. An action plan for the implementation of the anti-discrimination strategy has been adopted in October 2014. A national mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the UN human rights bodies’ recommendations remains to be adopted.

New strategy and action plan for further development of the correctional system 2013-2020 were adopted. Further efforts remain necessary to improve conditions in the prison system. The legal framework for data protection has yet to be aligned with the EU acquis.

The legal and institutional framework to protect women and children’s rights was further improved. Measures to tackle domestic violence and gender inequality at the workplace remain to yield effective results. The situation of Roma children and children with disabilities, who remain the most discriminated against, further weakened in the aftermath of the severe floods in May. Social inclusion of people with disabilities needs significant improvement.

The legal framework for the protection of minorities is broadly in place but its consistent implementation across the country needs to be ensured, e.g. in relation to education, use of languages, and access to the media and to religious services in minority languages. The positive steps taken to improve the situation of the Roma need to be stepped up, particularly when it comes to education, housing and employment. Further sustained efforts and additional financial resources are needed to improve the situation of the Roma and of refugees and displaced persons.

For a detailed analysis of developments in the area of human rights and the protection of minorities, see Chapter 23 — Judiciary and fundamental rights. For developments in the areas of trade union rights, anti-discrimination and equal opportunities, see also Chapter 19 — Social policy and employment.

2.3. Regional issues and international obligations

Implementation of the Dayton/Paris Peace Agreement continued. In his first visit abroad, to Sarajevo in May, Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić reiterated his support for the agreement and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Under the Agreement on Special Parallel Relations between Serbia and the Republika Srpska, joint sessions of the governments were held in December 2013 and September 2014, with the emphasis on joint efforts to fight organised crime and corruption and on economic cooperation.

Serbia has continued to cooperate fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and to answer the ICTY’s requests for assistance in good time. The new Law on Ministries of April 2014 abolished the former Office of the National Council for Cooperation with ICTY and transferred its competences to the Ministry of Justice. Serbia maintained its request to the ICTY for Serbian convicts to be allowed to serve sentences in Serbia. For developments related to the domestic processing of war crimes, see Chapter 23 — Judiciary and fundamental rights.

Serbia’s policy with regard to the International Criminal Court is in line with the EU’s guiding principles and the EU Common Positions on the integrity of the Rome Statute. Serbia does not have any bilateral immunity agreements.

Serbia, along with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, have continued to closely cooperate in the framework of the Sarajevo Declaration Process, which aims to find sustainable solutions for people who became refugees and displaced persons as a result of the armed conflicts in ex-Yugoslavia during the 1990s. In March, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recommended that UN member states terminate refugee status for refugees originating from Croatia, at the latest by the end of 2017.

Implementation of the regional housing programme, expected to provide sustainable housing solutions for some 45 000 people in Serbia, has started. The legal framework and the national implementation bodies have been set up. Four waves of projects have been approved for Serbia. However, first housing has yet to be provided. The issue of refugees’ pensions between Croatia and Serbia is still unresolved. Good overall cooperation between the partner countries on the process and its housing programme needs to continue.

The unresolved fate of missing persons from the conflicts in the 1990s remains a humanitarian concern in the Western Balkans. As of August, a total of 11 155 persons were still missing, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Of these, 7 282 cases relate to the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2 163 to the conflict in Croatia and 1 710 to the conflict in Kosovo. Ascertaining the fate of missing persons remains vital for reconciliation and stability in the region. Greater political commitment and renewed efforts are needed.

Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro signed in August a Declaration on the role of the state in addressing the issue of persons missing as a consequence of armed conflict and human rights. The lack of information on new gravesites and the difficulties in identifying the already exhumed human remains continue to be the key obstacles to solving the remaining cases. The ICRC-chaired Working Group on Missing Persons continued to be the frame within which Belgrade and Pristina maintain the related dialogue. Since October 2013, the two delegations have met three times. Significant progress was made by locating the Rudnica-Raska gravesite in south Serbia, where the exhumation of human remains started in April. Still, the pace of solving cases of missing persons has been slow, with only 16 cases closed between October 2013 and August 2014. Following the first session of the re-established working group between Serbia and Croatia held in Zagreb in July 2013, no formal meeting took place and no progress was reported.

Regional cooperation and good neighbourly relations form an essential part of Serbia’s process of moving towards the EU. Serbia has continued to actively participate in regional initiatives, such as the South-East Europe Cooperation Process, the Regional Cooperation Council and the Central European Free Trade Agreement. As chair of the Energy Community Treaty, Serbia hosted the Ministerial Council in October 2013. Serbia took over in June the chair of the Danube Commission for a period of three years. Serbia played a constructive role in achieving participation of Kosovo in the South-East Europe Cooperation Process. Serbia also continued to support the Coalition for Reconciliation Commission (RECOM) and Igman initiatives on regional reconciliation.

In December, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro signed a protocol to establish a joint centre for police cooperation in Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), which opened officially in March. On 29 September 2014, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Montenegro signed an agreement on reducing the prices of roaming services on public mobile communications networks. A trilateral meeting of the Prime Ministers of Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia took place in Ruse (Bulgaria) in March.

Concerning bilateral relations with other enlargement countries and neighbouring EU Member States, Serbia has maintained a constructive approach and significantly improved its relations with some of its neighbours through fruitful high-level visits. However, a range of open issues remain with several neighbours. Serbia has concluded a bilateral convention on regional cooperation, under Article 15 of the SAA, with Montenegro, but not yet with Albania or the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Relations with Albania are stable overall. In November, the Albanian Minister for Social and Youth Affairs visited the Serbian municipality of Bujanovac where he met with the chair of the government’s coordinating body for the municipalities of Presevo, Bujanovac and Medvedja and with the local ethnic Albanian political leaders. A regular air link between Belgrade and Tirana was established in September.

Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina remained good. The new Serbian Prime Minister Vučić made his first official foreign visit to Sarajevo and focused on improving economic and trade cooperation and resolving remaining bilateral issues. There were several other high-level reciprocal visits. The Serbian leadership took a constructive approach during the social protests in Bosnia and Herzegovina, calling for restraint and moderation by the political representatives of the Republika Srpska. A readmission agreement and its implementing protocol have been ratified. Border demarcation remains to be addressed.

Relations with the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia remained good. The Serbian Prime Minister visited Skopje in January. A joint centre for police cooperation was opened at the border crossing at Tabanovce and a protocol on cooperation between the Ministries of the Interior was signed. The two countries also signed agreements on the exchange and mutual protection of classified information, on mutual recognition of diplomas, and on mutual sharing of premises for diplomatic and consular offices, as well as a protocol for cooperation in the field of tourism. There were no developments in the dispute related to the Orthodox churches in both countries.

Relations with Montenegro were further upgraded. The Montenegrin Prime Minister visited Belgrade in December for the first such visit in a decade. A memorandum on cooperation in the field of tourism was signed in February, and cooperation agreements on diplomatic training and mutual sharing of premises for diplomatic and consular offices were signed in June. A joint operation between Serbia and Montenegro contributed to the arrest of the alleged leader of a prominent organised crime group. There were no developments regarding disputes related to citizenship rights and the Orthodox churches in the two countries.

There were ups and downs in relations with Turkey. The Turkish Prime Minister visited Serbia in October 2013. Serbia protested over statements made by the Turkish Prime Minister during his subsequent visit to Kosovo, following which the Serbian President cancelled Belgrade’s participation in the trilateral Serbia, Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina summit. Political dialogue between the two countries’ officials resumed in April and relations further improved with a visit to Belgrade by the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs in June. Alleged statements of the Turkish Prime Minister, threatening those in the region acting against Bosniaks, although denied by the Turkish authorities, provoked acute reactions from Serbian authorities in July.

Relations with Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary and Romania remained good. The Serbian Prime Minister visited Bulgaria in December and March and attended the unveiling of a memorial to a Bulgarian national hero in Dimitrovgrad (Serbia) in February with his Bulgarian counterpart. A regular air link between Belgrade and Sofia was established in March. Negotiations on a bilateral agreement are still ongoing. A landmark visit by the Croatian President to Serbia took place in October. The Croatian Ministers of Defence and of Foreign Affairs visited Belgrade in February. An annual plan of bilateral military cooperation was signed in April. The hearings on mutual genocide lawsuits were held in March before the International Court of Justice. Missing persons and border demarcation remain open issues between the two countries. The Serbian government held a first joint session with the Hungarian government in Belgrade in July. The Serbian Prime Minister led a delegation to Romania in October 2013, while the Romanian Prime Minister visited Serbia in July.

Overall, Serbia generally complies with its international obligations. It continues to fully cooperate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. Serbia is participating actively in regional cooperation and has further developed bilateral relations with its neighbours. Open bilateral issues with neighbours need to be addressed with a pragmatic and constructive spirit.

3. Economic criteria

In examining economic developments in Serbia, the Commission’s approach was guided by the conclusions of the European Council in Copenhagen in June 1993, which stated that membership of the Union requires the existence of a functioning market economy and the capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union.

Monitoring of the economic criteria needs to be seen in the context of the increased role of economic governance in the enlargement process, as welcomed by the General Affairs Council of 17 December 2013. To this end, targeted policy guidance for Serbia, based on its pre-accession economic programme, was adopted at the Ministerial Dialogue between the Economic and Finance Ministers of the EU and the Candidate Countries in May 2014.

3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy

State presence in the economy remains significant. The private sector is weak and unprotected as the rule of law is not systematically observed. The new government has a mandate for economic reforms but their implementation has progressed slowly. Although external deficits declined strongly, fiscal imbalances remain very high and structural rigidities and obstacles to growth still need to be addressed. The functioning of market mechanisms remained hampered by significant distortions and legal uncertainty.

Economic policy

In January 2014, the government submitted to the Commission its Pre-Accession Economic Programme for the period 2014-16. The main objectives of the programme are economic recovery and stabilising government debt below 70 % of GDP. To this end, the government has proposed a number of fiscal consolidation measures and structural reforms. Key legislation related to improving the business environment has been recently adopted but the authorities would need to step up their efforts to implement the envisaged reforms, in line with the conclusions from the Ministerial Dialogue between the Economic and Finance Ministers of the EU and the Candidate Countries from May 2014. The Ministerial Dialogue provided policy guidance on a number of macroeconomic challenges and structural reforms with particular emphasis on fiscal consolidation, public administration reform and privatisation. Delays in the implementation of reforms led to the resignation of the finance minister in July and discussions with the International Monetary Fund on a new pre‑cautionary Stand‑By Arrangement have remained inconclusive. Reducing the very high budget deficit and taming government debt would require additional efforts. Fiscal consolidation needs to be further strengthened and frontloaded. Overall, commitment to economic reforms exists, but significant efforts are needed to strengthen fiscal consolidation and accelerate the implementation of the announced structural reform measures.

Macroeconomic stability

Following an export-led recovery last year, the economy contracted in the first half of 2014. Small pockets of growth remained isolated, suppressed by weak domestic demand. Net exports have been the major driver of economic activity and underpinned a continuing rebalancing of the economy away from consumption. After a slump in 2013, investments remained subdued in the first half of the year, despite increased government capital expenditure. In addition, heavy floods in the spring have hit agriculture and damaged transport and, in particular, energy infrastructure, further undermining short-term growth. Average per capita income, expressed in purchasing power standards, increased to 36 % of the EU average in 2013 from 35 % in the previous year. Overall, impacted by heavy floods the economy contracted in the first half of 2014. Exports remained the only engine of growth.

External imbalances fell strongly, mainly due to stellar export performance. The current account deficit almost halved in euro terms last year, dropping to around 6.5 % of GDP, and continued falling in 2014. Exports of goods and services in euro terms kept growing by double-digit rates, while imports remained restrained due to weak domestic demand. Net foreign direct investment rose slightly on the previous year, but is still far below its pre-crisis levels, representing 3.8 % of GDP in 2013. Most foreign direct investment went into trade, construction, real estate and financial services. After falling in the first months of the year, the central bank’s international reserves have recovered, covering more than seven months’ worth of imports. External debt has been fairly stable in euro terms, but fell in relation to GDP to around 80 % by the end of June. Overall, strong export growth contributed to a further narrowing of external imbalances.

Unemployment stood very high at an average of 22.1 % in 2013. According to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), it remained above 20 % in the first half of 2014. The number of registered employed has steadily declined and a fifth of total employment is in agriculture and about a third in the public sector, revealing deep-seated structural problems. According to the LFS, informal employment remains substantial and has further increased. The activity rate of the population aged20-64 is comparably low at 66 %, as is the employment rate, which stood at 51.2 % in 2013. In a step towards reversing growing public employment, the government adopted a partial hiring freeze in January. However, strict implementation of the envisaged public administration reform is needed to streamline the bloated public sector and to tackle the unfounded salary differentials in the public administration. Long-term and youth unemployment are very high and active labour market programmes remain underfunded. Following a few months of real growth in the autumn, gross wages fell throughout most of the period and by an average of 1.0 % in the first seven months of 2014. A number of labour market rigidities have been addressed with the recently adopted revision of the Labour law. Overall, deep-seated structural problems and a weak economy keep unemployment very high. Recent legislative changes have addressed important labour market rigidities.

The National Bank of Serbia continued pursuing inflation targeting, reaffirming its target of 4 %, ±1.5 percentage points. After staying at the average of 7.8% in 2013, inflation decelerated strongly, influenced by weak demand, a relatively stable exchange rate, dampened food prices after a good harvest and further reduction of tariff protection under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. Since October 2013, monthly inflation rates have averaged 0.1 % until August and year‑on‑year inflation stayed mostly below the target band, the central bank missing its target for six consecutive months. Inflation expectations have declined as well, but in order to anchor them further and reduce inflation volatility, stronger competition on product markets and fiscal consolidation efforts will be crucial. The central bank reduced its key policy rate only gradually, from 11 % in September 2013 to 8.5 % by mid-June 2014. The dinar had remained broadly stable against the euro until late July, supported by central bank interventions mainly in the first months of the year, before coming again under depreciating pressures recently. Overall, weak demand, dampened food prices and the relatively stable dinar brought a period of very low inflation, even below the target band of the central bank.

Despite a series of consolidation efforts, the fiscal situation remains precarious. The 2013 general government deficit of 5.0 % of GDP greatly exceeded the initial target, although it came in below the 2012 deficit. Budget execution was marked by significant revenue underperformance and the deficit was contained only by spending cuts, in particular of public investment, which suffered a serious blow and was reduced by a third from its medium‑term average. Interest expenditure reached a new high of 2.6 % of GDP, eating up a quarter of the space generated by consolidation efforts. The 2014 budget envisaged an increase in the deficit to 5.5 % of GDP to finance mainly higher investment and interest payments. This does not include expenditure amounting to 1.6 % of GDP, such as servicing activated guarantees, financial system support, and the assumption of obligations from other entities. A new round of consolidation measures was implemented at the beginning of the year, which saw the reduced VAT rate raised from 8 % to 10 %, progressive reduction of public sector wages and limitations on public sector employment. Amendments to the pension and disability insurance law were adopted in July — a welcome step towards improving the long‑term sustainability of the pension system. Penalties for early retirement were introduced and the retirement age for women is set to gradually increase to 65 years, equalising with that for men in 2032. Other reforms, with a potentially large budgetary impact, like finalising the process of enterprise restructuring or improving the efficiency of big state-owned companies, suffered continuous delays. A process of modernisation of costly public administration was launched with the adoption of a public administration reform strategy in the end of 2013 but more efforts would be needed for its sustained implementation.

Repeating a pattern from previous years revenues underperformed and, by the end of July, the budget deficit expanded by 21 % to 2.7 % of the expected GDP. To stimulate the flagging economy and employment, the government introduced a set of new measures ranging from tax breaks for new employment, to lending, construction and investment subsidies. However, some of these subsidies are of questionable efficiency and might further erode competition and weaken the fiscal situation. The weak budget performance and reconstruction needs, following the spring floods, prompted the announcement in September of a budget revision, which is likely to include progressive cuts of public sector wages and pensions. The significant fiscal imbalances have led to a further increase of government debt, which has approached 70 % of GDP. Overall, despite a series of new measures, fiscal imbalances remain very high. Significant further efforts are required to reduce government expenditure and implement the announced structural reforms in order to restore fiscal sustainability and improve the credibility of the consolidation programme.

Falling external imbalances reduced some of the pressure on the dinar and, coupled with weak domestic demand, have brought a period of very low inflation. However, monetary policy remained relatively restrictive in view of the significant external risks and domestic uncertainty. Therefore, achieving a proper policy mix depends on stepping up reform efforts and implementing a strong and credible medium‑term fiscal adjustment programme, which will also allow for a more accommodative monetary policy.

Interplay of market forces

The state continues to hold dominant positions in major sectors such as energy, transport and telecommunications. The law on public companies, setting criteria and delineating a procedure for management appointments, has not yet brought about visible improvement in public companies′ governance and they continued to be largely overstaffed and inefficient. The envisaged restructuring of Srbijagas, the state‑owned gas incumbent, has been delayed and has not started yet. The company has accumulated further losses as other public companies using its service are not paying their bills. The announced reorganisation and corporatisation of Elektroprivreda Srbije, the state-owned power utility company, has been launched in August with changes increasing the control of the company over its subsidiaries. Overall, the slow process of restructuring of the big state-owned companies is having a negative impact on public finances and the rest of the economy and needs to be urgently addressed.

With the exception of the establishment of a strategic partnership between the national air carrier and Etihad, privatisation efforts have only been revived in summer 2014. After some 26 companies in restructuring went bankrupt, there was little further progress and around 160 companies, employing more than 50 000 people, continued to be protected from forcible collection of debts and bankruptcy. The companies in restructuring have accumulated significant liabilities through the years, representing a serious contingent risk to public finances and a heavy burden to potential investors. A new privatisation law was enacted in August, setting the end of 2015 as a deadline for completing the privatisation process and outlining the possible models of privatisation — strategic partnership, transfer of capital without compensation, sale of capital and sale of assets. In line with the law, in mid-August the Privatisation Agency invited investors to show their interest in the sale of 502 companies. By mid-September, the agency received 1 732 letters of interest concerning 403 companies. Overall, the state presence in the economy is significant and the privatisation process was revived only in summer 2014. Companies in restructuring remain a heavy drain on the budget and the economy.

Market entry and exit

In 2013, the number of companies newly established (8 574) was more than three times the number of companies closed (2 562). However, market entry has continued to be burdened by lengthy and costly procedures for obtaining various specific permits and rising parafiscal charges. This is particularly valid for construction permits. The issue of converting usage rights into ownership rights has not been solved, which further hinders potential investment. Problems with construction permits are meant to be addressed shortly by amendments to the Law on Planning and Construction. In the first half of the year, the number of insolvent companies fell by 5 % to 37 711. However, those in insolvency for more than 180 days continued to increase, representing more than three quarters of all. In August, amendments to the bankruptcy law were adopted, regulating more in detail the role of the bankruptcy administrator and creditor rights. Overall, some steps were taken to resolve shortcomings in bankruptcy legislation. Red tape, parafiscal charges and difficulties in obtaining construction permits remained major obstacles to more dynamic business creation and expansion. Further efforts are needed to implement the planned reforms in this area.

Legal system

Many laws, important for structural reforms and socioeconomic development, are still adopted without proper consultations with businesses and other social partners thus excluding them from dialogue on a better regulatory environment. Moreover, the implementation of laws remains problematic as there are long delays in the adoption of bylaws. The judicial system is slow in enforcing property rights, which adds to uncertainty and the cost of doing business. The backlog in the courts is still substantial and companies often avoid using the courts as a legal solution to their problems. Enforcement of restitution legislation, which is expected to improve legal clarity over real estate ownership, is ongoing. By August 2014, about 18 % of all submitted claims had been resolved. Several high-level cases of corruption have been prosecuted, but the number of final verdicts is low. Corruption remains a major threat to the business environment. Overall, legal predictability and enforcement of court decisions remain weak. Significant efforts are needed to strengthen the legal system and ensure even implementation of laws, as a crucial part of the business environment.

Financial sector development

The banking system continued to face challenges and lending activity deteriorated further, falling by 6.1 % by the end of March. Corporate lending fell the most as banks tightened their lending terms and demand for loans weakened. However, the restarting of government subsidised lending boosted credit activity and slowed down the fall in bank claims on the non-government sector to 2.7 % in July. The domestic deposit base expanded further and banks remained highly liquid, although this liquidity did not spill over to the real economy. Euroisation continued to be widespread, with about three quarters of deposits and of loans to households and businesses denominated in or linked to foreign currency. Deteriorating economic activity pushed non-performing loans up, mainly in the corporate segment, to a new high of 23.0 % in the second quarter of 2014. Bank profitability also suffered and in 2013 the system as a whole registered negative returns on assets and equity. However, most of the losses were concentrated in a few banks and the system turned profitable again in early 2014. The regulatory capital adequacy ratio remained consistently high and stood at around 21 % at the end of June, well above the required minimum of 12 %.

Financial intermediation declined and banking sector assets stood at 92.4 % of GDP at the end of 2013. Banks and, in particular, foreign‑owned banks, continued to dominate the financial system, accounting for most of the assets and liabilities. Weak governance led to the failure of some of the small banks. In the last two years, four banks had their licences revoked for failing to align their capital and performance ratios with the law on banks, which cost the state a total of about € 1 billion. In December, the central bank adopted a strategy for implementing the Basel III standards in Serbia. Limited measures were adopted to address non-performing loans. Overall, lending activity declined and the banking system, although well capitalised and liquid, continued to face challenges. The issues of improving corporate governance and the high burden of non‑performing loans still need to be effectively addressed.

3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the Union

Human and physical capital

The mismatch between the available human capital and economic needs is significant, leading to low labour market participation and high unemployment. Employment creation is limited, reflecting narrow production base and structural rigidities. Human capital fundamentals are very weak as declining population, emigration and population ageing undermine long‑term growth potential. Unemployment among the youth and those with lower and intermediate education remains above the average. Although the number of pupils has declined steadily, employment in the education sector continued to increase. Inefficiencies of the education system are also revealed by the long average length of university studies and the significant number of unemployed with a university degree. A reorganisation of the schools network, the introduction of funding per student as planned from next year, and the implementation of the education strategy adopted in 2012 should improve the quality of education. Overall, significant efforts are needed to improve the quality and efficiency of the education system.

The physical infrastructure would require sustained and large investments to improve and upgrade it. Floods in the spring have additionally impaired infrastructure in vast areas of the country and placed an additional burden on the already modest public investment funds. Due to fiscal constraints, government investment fell by more than a third last year but started recovering in 2014, when it grew by 26 % the first seven months. Furthermore, in the short‑term, public investment is expected to be boosted by international aid, linked to reconstruction efforts after the floods. The government has continued its efforts to attract foreign financing for strategically important projects. However, its approach to attracting strategic investors has often been non-transparent and with a potentially adverse impact on public finance. Consideration should be given to finding a systemic and transparent approach for attracting private capital to cover at least part of the large investment needs. Overall, the physical infrastructure is underdeveloped and was further damaged by heavy floods. Reducing the budget deficit and improving the performance of publicly owned companies is needed to create space for infrastructure investment.

Sectoral and enterprise structure

The sectoral structure of the economy remained broadly unchanged. Agriculture activity, highly sensitive to weather conditions, recovered strongly last year and increased its share of gross value added to 11.4 %, but is set to fall again following the floods in 2014. Industry’s share increased slightly to 25.3 %, while that of construction and services fell to 3.3 % and 62.7 % respectively. Nevertheless, intrasectoral changes were noticeable; in particular, manufacture of refined petroleum products and of motor vehicles, linked to foreign direct investment made in previous periods, increased their share of total manufacturing and the information and communication sector continued to gain importance, also recording a marked increase in employment. The economic weight of the small and medium‑sized enterprises is significant, representing more than half of the value added in the economy and about two thirds of employment. According to various surveys, SMEs suffer mostly from the weak financial and liquidity situation and the unpredictable regulatory environment. The SME sector is also negatively affected by unfair competition of the large informal economy.

As regards network industries, the lack of unbundling of the gas utility continued to hamper competition and market development. The gradual liberalisation of the electricity market progressed slowly with the opening up of the medium-voltage network. However, low prices, compared to the region, suppress actual competition and the state-owned company continued to dominate the market. The telecommunication market was further liberalised with the introduction of fixed number portability in April. Overall, the economic structure is changing slowly, driven mainly by foreign direct investment, but important sectors of the economy need further restructuring and liberalisation.

State influence on competitiveness

State-owned, monopolistic structures dominate many sectors and the state continued to subsidise them heavily. Since the beginning of 2014, until the end of July, government subsidies expenditure increased by a real 7.1 %. Contrary to previous years, the annual State aid report for 2013 has been delayed and was not available by the time of writing this report. State aid control needs to be enforced consistently and the exemption from state aid rules given to enterprises that are being privatised still needs to be abolished. New state aid measures need to be systematically notified before being put into force. The Commission for State Aid Control still has to demonstrate its independence. Overall, the state continues to substantially and negatively influence competitiveness by providing significant and wide-ranging forms of state aid. The system of state aid needs to be thoroughly reviewed.

Economic integration with the EU

The openness of the economy increased and total exports of goods and services reached 44.7 % of GDP, while imports stood at 56.4 % of GDP in 2013. The EU (including Croatia) increased its trade with Serbia and remained by far the country’s main trading partner with 62.8 % of total exports of goods and 61.8 % of total imports of goods. Serbia’s exports to the EU have grown faster than its imports, resulting in an increase in the export to import ratio vis-à-vis the EU from 60 % in 2012 to 72 % in 2013. The share of net foreign direct investment from the EU in total FDI stood at 72 % in 2013. In real effective terms (deflated by inflation), the dinar has remained broadly stable since mid-2013. Overall, economic integration with the EU increased further and export performance improved, albeit from a low level.

4. Ability to take on the obligations of membership

This section examines Serbia’s ability to take on the obligations of membership — that is, the acquis as expressed in the Treaties, the secondary legislation and the policies of the Union. It also analyses the country’s administrative capacity to implement the acquis. The analysis is structured according to the list of 33 acquis chapters. In each sector, the Commission’s assessment covers the progress achieved during the reporting period, and summarises the country’s overall level of preparation.

4.1. Chapter 1: Free movement of goods

Concerning horizontal measures, implementation of the legislation on metrology continued. The Quality Infrastructure Strategy remains to be adopted. The administrative capacity of the Ministry in charge of horizontal coordination remains to be strengthened.

On standardisation, the Institute for Standardisation of Serbia (ISS) has adopted 94.5 % of the European standards (ENs), of which 80 % are standards required for membership of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardisation (CENELEC). The total number of EU standards and other deliverables applied nationally stood at 22 916, including 16 137 CEN standards, 6 395 CENELEC standards and 384 European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards. The number of withdrawn conflicting Serbian standards and related documents was 12 066. Serbia has not yet applied for membership of CEN and CENELEC. Serbian legislation on standardisation remains to be aligned with EU Regulation 1025/2012. The ISS has downsized its active technical committees from 215 to 193. Institute staff decreased to 61 full-time employees.

In the area of conformity assessment, a number of conformity assessment bodies designated in accordance with the relevant EU directives stood at 29: 6 for the Machinery Directive, 2 for the Low Voltage Directive, 4 for the Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, 6 for the Lift Directive, 8 for the Pressure Equipment Directive, 2 for the Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directive and 1 for the Personal Protective Equipment Directive. Serbia has introduced ex-ante formal controls of certificates of conformity in areas where EU law only requires self-certification by the manufacturer. Such controls are not in line with the acquis.

In the field of accreditation, in April 2014 the Accreditation Body of Serbia (ABS) signed a multilateral agreement with the European Accreditation (EA) body. The agreement will expand the scope of the ABS’s activities to include certification bodies providing certification of management systems and certification of persons. By the end of August, the ABS had granted accreditation to 527 bodies, including 302 testing laboratories, 52 calibration, and 10 medical laboratories, 128 inspection bodies, and 22 certification bodies for products, 11 for management systems and 2 for persons. ABS staffing levels remain insufficient.

National legislation in the area of metrology is in line with the acquis and Serbia has already started preparations for adopting new acquis in this area. The number of internationally recognised national standards for calibration and measurement is now 142.

A new law on market surveillance remains to be adopted. Surveillance of non-food products on the Serbian market has increased. The Product Safety Council continued its regular operations. The administrative capacity of the line ministry remains weak in the area of market surveillance.

In the field of ‘Old Approach’ product legislation, Serbia has aligned its legislation with the acquis on textiles and footwear. It has yet to align its legislation in a number of other areas, including emissions of pollutants from non-road engines and crystal glass.

As regards ‘New and Global Approach’ product legislation, Serbia has adopted legislation transposing the Measurement Instruments Directive. Further alignment is needed in the areas of construction products, cableway installations, recreational craft, cosmetics and toy safety.

As regards procedural measures, Serbia has yet to align its legislation with the acquis on civil firearms and the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of an EU Member State.

Conclusion

Some progress was made in the area of free movement of goods. Serbia continued with the alignment of its horizontal legislation and the adoption of European standards. However, stronger emphasis needs to be put on implementing transposed directives and ensuring adequate equipment and administrative capacity. Better coordination is needed among various quality infrastructure and market surveillance authorities. Overall, preparations in the area of free movement of goods are moderately advanced.

4.2. Chapter 2: Freedom of movement for workers

As regards access to the labour market, the Law on Employment of Foreigners has not been adopted yet. The law should allow free access to the labour market for EU citizens upon accession.

The pre-selection of 15 future EURES (European Employment Services) counsellors has been carried out. Strengthening of the vacancy database of the National Employment Services (NES) is needed, in particular for what concerns the collection of vacancies at central/national level.

As regards coordination of social security systems, a new agreement was signed with Hungary. Agreements with Canada, Luxembourg and Belgium have been ratified and the agreement with Turkey has entered into force. The capacity of social security institutions needs to be strengthened.

Preparations with regard to the European Health Insurance Card have not started yet.

Conclusion

Little progress has been made in the area of movement of workers. Overall, preparations in this area are moderately advanced.

4.3. Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services

There were no developments in the area of right of establishment.

As regards freedom to provide cross-border services, a general law aligning the Serbian legislation with the Services Directive is still needed. The capacity of the institutions dealing with services needs strengthening.

Amendments to the law on postal services aiming at merging the postal service regulator with the electronic communications regulator were adopted in June 2014. In line with the postal strategy for 2013-2016, legislation remains to be brought in line with the third postal Directive. The administrative capacity of the line ministry’s inspectorate remains weak, affecting the monitoring of the sector. The public postal operator has not yet been corporatised.

A law on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications remains to be adopted.

Conclusion

Limited progress was made in the area of the right of establishment, freedom to provide services and mutual recognition of professional qualifications. A general law on services remains to be adopted. Overall, preparations are moderately advanced in these fields.

4.4. Chapter 4: Free movement of capital

In the area of capital movements and payments, in September 2013, the National Bank of Serbia adopted a decision facilitating loans in dinars granted by international financial institutions to commercial banks or companies. In April and July, it adopted two decisions partially liberalising transactions in foreign currency by Serbian residents. Limitations remain regarding short-term capital transactions and deposit activities by residents, while long-term capital transactions are fully liberalised. Restrictions on the acquisition of real estate, especially agricultural land, still exist.

Serbian legislation on payment systems is not fully in line with the acquis.

As regards the fight against money laundering and financing of terrorism, the Agency for Prevention of Money Laundering signed two memoranda of understanding with Monaco and Liechtenstein. The new draft strategy for fighting money laundering and related action plan remain to be adopted. The administrative and analytical capacity of the agency and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Finance needs to be strengthened. In addition, the agency does not yet have adequate premises, preventing recruitment of new staff. Serbia has not yet established a solid and systematic track record of suspicious investigations and final convictions in money laundering cases. Reporting remains low, in particular outside the banking sector and especially in the real estate sector, currency exchange offices and insurance companies. An effective system for monitoring and analysing cash transactions needs to be put in place and made operational.

Conclusion

There was little progress in the area of capital movements. Serbia needs to adopt and implement outstanding legislation on free movement of capital. Overall, Serbia’s alignment in the area of the free movement of capital is moderately advanced.

4.5. Chapter 5: Public procurement

In the field of general principles, the Public Procurement Office (PPO) continued to adopt regulations and model documents for the implementation of the new Law on Public Procurement that entered into force last year. The government adopted three decrees and one decision concerning centralised procurement, procurement in the field of defence and security and common procurement vocabulary. The PPO recorded an increase in the use of the upgraded public procurement portal. Most of the measures prescribed by the new law and by the national strategy and action plan for the fight against corruption with a view to increasing transparency and preventing corruption and conflicts of interest in public tenders have been adopted. The national strategy and action plan for upgrading the public procurement system remain to be aligned with the new law.

As regards the award of public contracts, the value of negotiated procedures conducted without prior notice decreased to 4 % of the total value of public tenders in the first half of 2014, from 24 % in 2012. The average number of bids per tender remained stable, at 2.7 in 2013 and in the first half of 2014 against 2.6 in 2012. In the area of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions, five projects were approved by the PPP Commission, the same number as in the previous reporting period. Eight new posts were created in the PPO, but further reinforcement of its administrative capacity is needed in view of its new responsibilities. Since the entry into force of the new Law on Misdemeanours in March, the PPO initiated 26 misdemeanour procedures against contracting authorities. Institutional cooperation on public procurement, including with audit, judicial and police institutions, is improving, but needs to be reinforced.

In the field of remedies, the number of requests for protection of rights received by the Republic Commission for the Protection of Bidders’ Rights (Republic Commission) increased by 39 % from the entry into force of the new legal framework in April 2013 until the end of 2013 compared to the same period in 2012. The Republic Commission reached a total of 1.966 decisions in 2013 compared to 1700 in 2012. In 909 cases, public procurement decisions were partially or fully annulled. In 2013, the Republic Commission further built up its enforcement record by reviewing the implementation of 635 of its decisions and concluded that in 24 cases, they had not been properly enforced by the contracting authorities. It has continued to build up its administrative and enforcement capacity to a total of 54 employees.

Conclusion

There has been good progress in the field of public procurement. The capacity of the PPO needs to be strengthened further. The national strategy and action plan for upgrading the public procurement system remain to be updated. Overall, alignment in the area of public procurement is moderately advanced.

4.6. Chapter 6: Company law

In the field of company law, the Business Registers Agency, which centrally manages all registers, increased the number of registers from 15 to 17. The Register of Bidders became operational in September 2013, and the Register of Factoring in October 2013. The electronic company registration process is not yet operational. Reporting obligations regarding domestic mergers and divisions need to be enforced.

In the areas of corporate accounting and auditing, all implementing acts for the new laws on accounting and auditing were adopted. Further efforts are needed to comply with the new EU accounting directive from 2013. In the field of auditing, the Public Oversight Board was established in October 2013 as a government body, which affects its independence. The full version of the International Financial Reporting Standards in Serbian was published in March 2014. These standards are applied in Serbia.

Conclusion

Some progress was made in the field of company law. Implementation of the new laws on accounting and auditing has started. The electronic company registration process should become operational as soon as possible to contribute to a better business environment. Independence of the public audit oversight body needs to be ensured. Overall, Serbia is well advanced in this area.

4.7. Chapter 7: Intellectual property law

In the area of copyright and neighbouring rights, the amendments to the Law on Copyrights and Related Rights introduced in 2012 are not aligned with the acquis. The Intellectual Property Office has not yet obtained the administrative capacity corresponding to the responsibilities of the Commission for Copyright that were transferred to it when the latter was abolished in 2013.

The relevant laws in the field of industrial property rights remain to be further aligned with the acquis.

As concerns enforcement, the number of requests received by the customs administration for protection of intellectual property rights increased from 205 in 2012 to 244 in 2013. The Tax Administration slightly increased the number of software legality controls in 2013, from 555 to 573. The Market Inspectorate received 74 applications for protection of intellectual property rights in 2013 compared to 73 in 2012. It confiscated 127 000 counterfeited and pirated products in 2013 compared to 138 000 in 2013. The number of controls and of criminal charges filed by the Ministry of the Interior fell from 414 in 2013 to 350 in 2013. Specific courts were assigned to handling civil intellectual property rights (IPR) cases from January 2014: the Higher Court in Belgrade was entrusted with cases involving natural persons and the Commercial Court in Belgrade with cases concerning legal persons.

Further alignment of legislation with the Directive on Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights needs to be ensured. A formal coordination mechanism for effective IPR enforcement is still missing. There are still delays in the implementation of the national IPR strategy and action plan 2011-2015. The participation of economic operators and consumers in the prevention of counterfeiting and piracy remains limited.

Conclusion

Little progress was made in the area of intellectual property law. Formal coordination between different stakeholders has yet to begin with a view to ensuring more effective enforcement. Overall, alignment in the area of intellectual property law is advanced.

4.8. Chapter 8: Competition policy

In the field of anti-trust and mergers, the Law on Competition Protection was further aligned with the acquis in October 2013. The amendments reinforce the investigative capacity of the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC) and bring the definition of dominant market position closer to the acquis. The CPC adopted one decision on restrictive agreements, one decision on abuse of dominance and 82 decisions on mergers in summary procedure and carried out four investigation procedures on mergers, one of which was conditionally approved. The CPC issued 35 opinions related to application of the Law on Competition Protection and other draft legislation. Seven court decisions were in favour of the CPC and four against. The CPC published sector analyses of the milk and oil markets. It signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Croatian and Slovenian competition authorities. The financial plan of the CPC for 2014 was adopted by the government in February.

Public authorities need to ensure more systemic follow-up of the CPC’s opinions relating to draft legislation affecting competition. With 30 employees, the CPC’s administrative and investigative capacity remains stable but insufficient. The judiciary’s capacity to assess complex competition cases and the CPC’s competition advocacy need to be strengthened.

In the area of state aid, the rules regarding de minimis aid were further aligned with the acquis. The Commission for State Aid Control (CSAC) adopted 47 decisions and conclusions, including 13 initiating ex post control. This is a significant decrease compared with the previous period, which can in part be attributed to the end of the notification of de minimis aid cases. The capacity of the CSAC’s secretariat was reinforced with two staff members. A mechanism to trace the cumulation of de minimis aid was developed but the monitoring of aid granted for the same objective under different legal bases must be strengthened. A number of existing state aid schemes, including fiscal aid schemes, still need to be aligned with the acquis. The exemption from state aid rules for companies in the process of restructuring and privatisation needs to be repealed. The independence of the CSAC remains to be ensured. Further efforts are needed to ensure that all aid measures are notified to the CSAC and approved before being granted. State aid advocacy and awareness-raising activities need to be stepped up.

As regards liberalisation of specific sectors, additional efforts need to be made to move towards market liberalisation in line with the acquis as a number of Serbian undertakings continue to enjoy special or exclusive rights in specific business areas.

Conclusion

Limited progress was made in the area of competition. The operational independence of the CSAC must be ensured. The legislation on state aid control must be aligned with the acquis and applied to all undertakings, including those in the process of restructuring and privatisation. Overall, alignment in the area of competition policy is moderately advanced.

4.9. Chapter 9: Financial services

In the area of banks and financial conglomerates, the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) adopted amendments to the decision on classification of bank balance and off-balance sheet assets in December 2013 and to the decision on assigning receivables to other banks in October, in an attempt to help resolving the still growing issue of non-performing loans. In December, the NBS adopted its strategy for the full implementation of Basel III standards, which are transposed in EU legislation in the new Capital Requirement Directive (CRD IV) and Regulation (CRR), and which are only partially applied in Serbia. Alignment with the latest acquis on deposit guarantees remains to be achieved. The Basel II standards have not been fully implemented yet.

In the area of insurance and occupational pensions, the NBS carried out eight on-site controls of insurance companies and the operating licence of one insurance company was revoked in July. In December, amendments to the Insurance Law introduced provisions allowing domestic insurance companies to re-insure abroad for natural disasters. They also postponed the deadline for separating life from non-life insurance by one year until the end of 2014, pending the adoption of the new Law on Insurance. Alignment with the Solvency II Directive is part of NBS strategy, but has yet to be achieved. There have been no changes in legislation relating to occupational pension funds.

As regards financial market infrastructure, there have been no new developments.

In the area of the securities market and investment services, in December, the inaugural meeting of the Financial Stability Committee was held. This advisory body brings together the NBS, the Ministry of Finance, the Deposit Insurance