COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Serbia 2025 Report Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy
Date: 2025-11-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood, European Commission
Subjects: Serbia, accession criteria, accession negotiations, pre-accession strategy, regional cooperation

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.11.2025  SWD(2025) 755 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Serbia 2025 Report Accompanying the document COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2025 Communication on EU enlargement policy                       {COM(2025) 690 final} - {SWD(2025) 750 final} - {SWD(2025) 751 final} - {SWD(2025) 752 final} - {SWD(2025) 753 final} - {SWD(2025) 754 final} - {SWD(2025) 756 final} - {SWD(2025) 757 final} - {SWD(2025) 758 final} - {SWD(2025) 759 final}  
 
 
Contents 

Introduction ................................................................................................................................3 
1. 
1.1 
Context .......................................................................................................................................3 
1.2  Main findings of the reports .......................................................................................................4 
State of play of the accession negotiations ............................................................................... 21 
1.3 

2. CLUSTER 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ACCESSION PROCESS ........................................... 22 

2.2.1 
2.2.2 

2.1. Functioning of democratic institutions and public administration reform .................................... 22 
2.1.1 Democracy ...................................................................................................................... 22 
2.1.2. Public administration reform .......................................................................................... 25 
2.2. Rule of law and fundamental rights .............................................................................................. 28 
Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights ......................................................... 28 
Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security ............................................................... 48 
2.3. Economic criteria .......................................................................................................................... 58 
2.3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy ............................................................ 58 
2.3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU ........ 63 
2.4. Public procurement, statistics and financial control ...................................................................... 65 
Chapter 5: Public procurement ............................................................................................ 65 
Chapter 18: Statistics ................................................................................................................ 66 
Chapter 32: Financial control ................................................................................................... 67 

3.  GOOD NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS AND REGIONAL COOPERATION ................................. 68 

4.  NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIA AND KOSOVO ................................. 71 

5. ABILITY TO ASSUME THE OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP....................................................... 73 

Cluster 2: Internal market .................................................................................................................... 73 
Chapter 1: Free movement of goods ........................................................................................ 74 
Chapter 2 - Freedom of movement for workers ....................................................................... 74 
Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services ........................................ 75 
Chapter 4: Free movement of capital ....................................................................................... 76 
Chapter 6: Company law .......................................................................................................... 76 
Chapter 7: Intellectual property law ......................................................................................... 77 
Chapter 8 - Competition policy ................................................................................................ 78 
Chapter 9 - Financial services .................................................................................................. 79 
Chapter 28 - Consumer and health protection .......................................................................... 79 
Cluster 3: Competitiveness and inclusive growth ................................................................................ 81 
Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media ......................................................................... 81 
Chapter 16 - Taxation ............................................................................................................... 82 
Chapter 17 - Economic and monetary policy ........................................................................... 83 
Chapter 19 - Social policy and employment ............................................................................ 83 
Chapter 20 - Enterprise and industrial policy ........................................................................... 85 
Chapter 25 - Science and research ........................................................................................... 86 
Chapter 26 - Education and culture .......................................................................................... 87 
Chapter 29 - Customs union ..................................................................................................... 89 
Cluster 4: The green agenda and sustainable connectivity ................................................................... 90 
Chapter 14: Transport policy .................................................................................................... 90 
Chapter 15 - Energy ................................................................................................................. 92 
Chapter 21 - Trans-European networks .................................................................................... 93 
Chapter 27 - Environment and climate change ........................................................................ 94 

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Cluster 5: Resources, agriculture and cohesion.................................................................................... 97 
Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development ....................................................................... 97 
Chapter 12 - Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy ................................................ 97 
Chapter 13 - Fisheries and aquaculture .................................................................................... 98 
Chapter 22 - Regional policy & coordination of structural instruments ................................... 99 
Chapter 33 - Financial and budgetary provisions ................................................................... 100 
Cluster 6: External relations ............................................................................................................... 101 
Chapter 30: External relations ................................................................................................ 101 
Chapter 31 - Foreign, security and defence policy ................................................................. 102 
Annex I - Relations between the EU and Serbia ................................................................................ 106 

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1. 

INTRODUCTION1 

1.1  CONTEXT 

Since  Serbia’s  accession  negotiations  opened  in  January  2014,  22  out  of  35  chapters  have  been 
opened.  These  include  all  chapters  under  cluster 1  on  the  fundamentals  and  under  cluster  4  on  the 
green  agenda  and  sustainable  connectivity.  Two  chapters  have  provisionally  been  closed.  The 
Commission’s  recommendations  from  previous  years  remain  valid,  that  Serbia  has  fulfilled  the 
opening  benchmarks  for  cluster  3  (competitiveness  and  inclusive  growth)  and  that  this  cluster  is 
technically ready to open. The overall pace of negotiations will continue to depend on the rule of law 
reforms and the normalisation of Serbia’s relations with Kosovo*. 

The Serbian government has continued to declare EU membership its strategic goal, and it set a new, 
more  ambitious  target  date  of  the  end  of  2026  to  meet  technical  criteria  for  membership.  Meeting 
Serbia’s  objectives  for  EU  accession  negotiations  requires  strong  political  will,  a  whole-of-society 
approach,  effective  policy  planning  and  coordination,  along  with  sufficient  human  and  financial 
resources for EU accession across all institutions involved. There is an anti-EU narrative evident not 
only in Serbian media outlets but also used by political office holders, including at highest levels. As a 
matter of priority, the Serbian authorities still need to take much more responsibility for proactive and 
more  objective  communication  on  Serbia’s  EU  accession  process  and  the  EU  and  for  countering 
disinformation and information manipulation. 

On  1 November  2024,  the  fall  of  a  canopy  at  the  Novi  Sad  railway  station  caused  the  death  of 
16 people.  This  tragic  event  prompted  mass  nation-wide  student  and  citizen  protests  and  blockades 
across  the  country  over  corruption  and  the  perceived  lack  of  accountability  and  transparency  at 
government  level  with  reports  of  excessive  use  of  force  against  protesters.  The  incident  and  the 
aftermath has further deepened the polarisation in Serbian society. The protests continue to take place. 

In the reporting period, the EU-facilitated Dialogue on normalisation of relations between Serbia and 
Kosovo  continued.  Domestic  political  preoccupations  on  both  sides  have  hindered  decisive  steps 
towards  implementing  the  2023  Agreement  on  the  Path  to  Normalisation  and  its  implementation 
annex  and  thereby  progressing  on  normalising  their  relations.  Constructive  engagement  in  the 
normalisation is also a requirement under the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. 

Serbia has actively engaged in and started to deliver on the implementation of the new Growth Plan 
for  the  Western  Balkans  across  all  four  pillars  of  gradual  integration  with  the  EU:  single  market, 
regional  economic  integration,  fundamental  reforms  and  increased  financial  support.  Under  the 
Reform  and  Growth  Facility,  a  performance-based  EU  instrument  that  supports  the  EU  accession 
process, the country adopted its Reform Agenda. The Reform Agenda covers reforms in the areas of: 
(i) business environment and private-sector development; (ii) green and digital transition; (iii) human 
capital; (iv) fundamental rights and the rule of law. 

1 This report covers the period from 1 September 2024 to 1 September 2025. It is based on input from a variety 
of  sources,  including  contributions  from  the  government  of  Serbia,  EU  Member  States,  European  Parliament 
reports  and  information  from  various  international  and  non-governmental  organisations.  It  also  includes  the 
results of comparative assessments and indices produced by other stakeholders, in particular in the area of rule 
of law. 

The  report  uses  the  following  assessment  scale  to  describe  the  state  of  play:  early  stage,  some  level  of 
preparation,  moderately  prepared,  good  level  of  preparation  and  well  advanced.  To  describe  progress  made 
during  the  reporting  period,  it  uses  the  following  scale:  backsliding,  no  progress,  limited  progress,  some 
progress, good progress and very good progress. Where appropriate, interim steps have also been used. 

* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ 
Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence. 

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The Commission’s 2025 rule of law report2 covered Serbia for the second time. 

1.2  MAIN FINDINGS OF THE REPORTS 

CLUSTER 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ACCESSION PROCESS 

Democracy 

Tangible improvements and further reforms are needed in the conduct of elections. It is vital that all 
outstanding  recommendations  by  the  Office  for  Democratic  Institutions  and  Human  Rights 
(OSCE/ODIHR)  and  the  Council  of  Europe  bodies  are  fully  implemented,  in  a  transparent  and 
inclusive process and well ahead of any new elections. 

Parliament’s effectiveness and oversight function remain hampered by the low frequency of sessions 
and  the  lack  of  genuine  political  debate.  Public  scrutiny  and  involvement  in  the  legislative  process 
were  limited  and  debates  continued  to  be  marked  by  tensions  between  the  ruling  coalition  and  the 
opposition.  Parliamentary  rules  of  procedure  and  the  Code  of  Conduct  to  penalise  offences  by 
parliamentarians need to be consistently applied. 

The institutions in charge of the EU integration process are in place. The government has advanced 
its strategic objective to meet all EU criteria by the end of 2026 but is yet to show genuine political 
will to deliver on EU-related priorities and speed up the preparations accordingly. The current deep 
societal  polarisation,  as  well  as  persistent  anti-EU  rhetoric,  run  counter  to  this  objective.  The 
authorities  have  yet  to  achieve  more  proactive  and  objective  communication  about  the  EU  and 
Serbia’s  accession  process.  The  increasingly  difficult  environment  for  civil  society  has  led  to  the 
decision by  civil  society  organisations  to  suspend  cooperation  with  the  authorities.  This  has  in turn 
affected the inclusiveness of the EU integration process. 

The  government  was  in  a  caretaker  capacity  between  19 March  (when  Parliament  took  note  of  the 
Prime Minister’s resignation) and 16 April 2025, when a new government was appointed. The reform 
of the local government system continued to advance slowly. 

Civil  society  organisations (CSOs)  in  Serbia  operate in  an  increasingly  difficult environment.  Since 
the start of the protests, CSOs advocating for the rule of law have faced intensified verbal attacks and 
smear campaigns, including by high-level officials. Complaints were filed against the use of spyware 
targeting  human  rights  defenders  and  journalists.  Strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation 
(SLAPPs)  increasingly  hindered  CSOs’  work.  Several  foreign  CSO  representatives,  including  from 
EU Member States, were expelled from Serbia and some were subsequently banned from entering the 
country. In February 2025, the police searched the offices of four CSOs at the request of the Special 
Anti-Corruption  Department  of  the  Higher  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  in  Belgrade.  To  date,  the 
searches have not resulted in any judicial proceedings and they have been widely perceived as an act 
of  pressure  on  civil  society.  Cooperation  between  the  government and  CSOs  has  been under  strain. 
There is still significant scope to improve the transparency of public funding to civil society. 

Public administration reform  

Serbia is moderately prepared in the area of public administration reform and overall there has been 
no progress during the reporting period.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

2 COM(2025) 900 final. 

4 

 
 
 
 
→  reduce the excessive number of acting positions and allocate sufficient resources to run effective, 

merit-based recruitment processes; 

→  strengthen  the  mechanism  for  systematically  integrating  opinions  issued  by  the  Public  Policy 
Secretariat into draft laws and policy documents, in line with the Law on the planning system; 

→  put in place a unified, comprehensive and transparent system for capital investment planning and 

management, in line with the Reform Agenda. 

Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights 

Serbia has reached some level of preparation and has made no progress. 

Functioning of the judiciary 

Serbia is  between  having some  and  a moderate level  of  preparation  in  the  area  of  judiciary.  No 
progress was made overall during the reporting the period. Whilst the case management system for 
prosecutor  offices  was finalised,  Serbia  still lacks  a  comprehensive  court case  management  system. 
Several  judges  and  prosecutors  were  elected  in  2024  and  2025,  but  a  considerable  number  of 
vacancies  remain  to  be  filled.  Undue  pressure  on  the  judiciary  remains  a  concern,  with  little  or  no 
follow-up  from  relevant  institutions,  and  there  are  concerns  about  prosecutorial  autonomy.  Four 
vacant positions at the Constitutional Court still need to be filled. Serbia has yet to show a genuine 
commitment  to  investigating  and  adjudicating  war  crimes  cases,  including  by  appointing  a  Chief 
Public Prosecutor for War Crimes. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  adopt  the  Law  on  the  Judicial  Academy  in line  with the  Venice  Commission  recommendations 
and  carry  out  the  appointments  of  judges  and  prosecutors  in  line  with  the  legal  framework,  in 
particular to fill the vacant positions in the Constitutional Court; 

→  reduce  political  interference  in  the  judiciary  and  prosecution  services  and  ensure  that  the  High 
Judicial  Council  and  the  High  Prosecutorial  Council,  the  government  and  Parliament  defend 
judicial independence and prosecutorial autonomy effectively and proactively in cases of undue 
influence; 

→  make the uniform and centralised case management systems operational; improve the efficiency 
of  the  justice  system,  in  particular  by  reducing  the  backlogs  and  disposition  times  for  the 
Administrative  and  Constitutional  Courts  and  fully  implement  the  human  resources  and  ICT 
strategies. 

Fight against corruption 

Serbia is between having some and a moderate level of preparation in the fight against corruption. 
Overall,  it  has  made  limited  progress.  In  December  2024,  Serbia  adopted  an  action  plan  for  the 
national  anti-corruption  strategy  for  2024-2025.  Overall,  corruption  is  prevalent  in  many  areas  and 
remains an issue of concern. The canopy collapse at Novi Sad railway station prompted widespread 
public  protests  over  corruption  and  the  perceived  lack  of  accountability  and  transparency  in 
government  infrastructure  and  construction  projects.  The  authorities  launched  investigations  into 
alleged corruption linked to the tragic incident, which have yet to be completed. There is a need for 
stronger political will to tackle corruption effectively, establish a robust track record and put in place a 
robust criminal justice response, including action on high-level corruption. The role and mandate of 
the  Prosecutor’s  Office  for  Organised  Crime  is  insufficiently  regulated  in  the  law.  Targeted  risk 
assessments and specific measures are also needed to tackle corruption in the most vulnerable sectors. 

5 

 
 
 
The  Commission’s recommendations  from  last  year were implemented  only  to a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  further improve its track record on investigations, prosecutions and final court decisions in high-
level corruption cases, in particular the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets and ensuring 
the  systematic  use  of  parallel  financial  investigations;  strengthen  the  mandate  of  the  Public 
Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime to increase its effectiveness; 

→  address  all  GRECO  recommendations,  in  particular  from  the  fifth  evaluation  round;  establish  a 
constructive relationship with the Anti-Corruption Council and systematically consult the Council 
on draft legislation; 

→  implement the anti-corruption action plan (2024-2025) accompanying the anti-corruption strategy 
as well as adopt and start implementing the action plan for 2026-2028, including by establishing 
an  effective  monitoring,  evaluation  and  coordination  mechanism  to  track  progress  and  impact, 
while focusing on all relevant interim benchmarks and GRECO recommendations. 

Fundamental rights 

While Serbia’s legislative and institutional framework for upholding fundamental rights is broadly in 
place,  implementation  of  this  framework  needs to  be  improved  as a  matter of  priority.  Independent 
bodies have issued only little, or late, public reaction to human rights violations in the context of the 
protests.  While  freedom  of  assembly  was  generally  ensured  and  protests  allowed  to  take  place,  the 
safety of participants was not always guaranteed, and several violent incidents against demonstrators 
and  journalists  occurred,  with  reported  cases  of  excessive  use  of  force  by  the  police.  To  date,  only 
some  perpetrators  have  been  prosecuted,  while  several  others  were  pardoned  from  criminal 
prosecution  by  the  President.  Such  incidents  intensified  over  the  summer.  The  European  Court  of 
Human Rights issued an interim measure on the alleged use by the authorities of a sonic weapon for 
crowd control at demonstrations in Belgrade; there was no credible follow-up yet by the authorities 
which denied such use. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  ensure  people  can  effectively  exercise  their  right  to  freedom  of  assembly  and  strengthen  the 
resources of human rights institutions, ensuring they exercise their mandates to the full and put in 
place procedures to ensure compliance with the decisions issued by the European Court of Human 
Rights, including interim measures; 

→  adopt  and  allocate  sufficient  resources  to  implement  the  pending  strategies  or  action  plans  on 
violence  against  women,  deinstitutionalisation,  anti-discrimination  –  including  the  rights  of 
LGBTIQ  persons  –  and  violence  against  children;  actively  counter  hate  crimes  and  build  up  a 
track record of investigations and convictions; 

→  adopt  the  pending  action  plan  on  national  minorities  and  demonstrate,  through  better  data 
collection,  real  improvements  in  the  effective  exercise  of  the  rights  of  individuals  belonging  to 
national  minorities,  including  reference  to  the  targets  set  by  the  Poznan  Declaration  on  Roma3 
inclusion. 

Freedom of expression 

Serbia has some level of preparation in the area of freedom of expression. Although Serbia amended 
its  media  legislation  to  align  further  with  the  EU  acquis  and  European  standards,  there  was 
backsliding during the reporting period as  the environment for journalists,  media professionals and 

3  In  line  with  the  terminology  of  European  institutions,  the  umbrella  term  ‘Roma’  is  used  here  to  refer  to  a 

number of different groups, without denying the particular features of these groups. 

6 

 
 
 
outlets  seriously  worsened.  Recurrent  statements  by  high-level  officials  on  the  work  of  journalists 
have  a  chilling  effect  on  the  freedom  of  expression.  Cases  of  strategic  lawsuits  against  public 
participation  (SLAPPs)  increasingly  hindered  the  work  of  investigative  media.  The  media  laws  of 
2023  have also  been inconsistently implemented.  In  particular,  the  media  regulator,  REM,  failed  to 
fully exercise its mandate and serious concerns persisted regarding its independence in practice. The 
Parliament  did  not  elect  a  new  REM  Council  by  the  legal  deadline  of  4 November  2024  and,  as  a 
result, Serbia has been without the decision-making body of the media regulator since then. However, 
the process of selection has recently  advanced with international facilitation. Political and economic 
influence on the media, including on editorial policy, is a source of serious concern.  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  implement the new media laws in a way that respects both their letter and spirit, including on the 
independence  of  the  media  regulator,  and  amend  the  laws  to  align  with  the  European  Media 
Freedom Act and related European standards and in line with its adopted media strategy; 

→  strengthen the protection and safety of journalists, notably by ensuring that: (i) high-level officials 
stop verbal attacks on journalists involving intimidation, stigmatisation and de-legitimisation; and 
(ii) swiftly follow up any threats or cases of physical and verbal violence and publicly condemn, 
investigate or prosecute any such cases, as appropriate; 

→  ensure transparent and equitable co-funding for media content serving the public interest, and full 

transparency in media ownership and advertising. 

Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security 

Serbia is between having some and a moderate level of preparation in the field of justice, freedom 
and  security  and  has  made  limited  progress.  Serbia  continued  to  contribute  to  the  management  of 
mixed  migration  flows  to  the  EU  by  playing  an  active  and  constructive  role  and  by  cooperating 
effectively with its neighbours, EU Member States and EU agencies. The EU-Serbia status agreement 
entered into force on 1 April 2025. Serbia took steps to align with the EU visa policy by reinstating 
visa requirements for nationals of Kuwait, Mongolia, Oman and Qatar in December 2024. However, 
Serbia’s visa policy is still only partially in line with the EU list of visa-required third countries. The 
acquisition  of  visa-free  travel  rights  to  the  EU  for  nationals  of  Russia  by  granting  them  Serbian 
citizenship poses potential security risks for the EU. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  amend  the  Law  on  internal  affairs  to  make  the  police  fully  autonomous  from  the  Ministry  of 
Interior  and  fully  accountable  only  to  the  Prosecutor’s  Office  during  pre-investigation  and 
investigation phases;  

→  further  align  with  the  EU’s  visa  policy  and  ensure  a  rigorous  screening  of  visa-free  arrivals  of 
third-country  nationals,  particularly  from  countries  presenting  security  or  irregular  migration 
risks;  apply  rigorous  security  screening  when  granting  Serbian  citizenship  to  third-country 
nationals, since Serbian passport holders benefit from visa free travel to the EU; take measures to 
systematically  register  and  identify  migrants,  develop  swift  asylum  procedures  and  increase  the 
capacity  to  manage  effective  return  operations;  ensure  that  legal  pathways  developed  for  third 
country nationals entering Serbia prevent secondary movements to the EU;  

→  adopt  new  strategies  and  action  plans  to  combat  cybercrime,  small  arms  and  light  weapons 

control, and drugs. 

Fight against serious and organised crime 

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Serbia  has  some  level  of  preparation  and  has  made  limited  progress.  Authorities  continued  to 
cooperate  actively  with  the  European  Union  Agency  for  Law  Enforcement  Training  (CEPOL), 
Eurojust,  Europol  and  Interpol,  notably  on  drugs  trafficking  and  the  fight  against  organised  crime 
groups.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  improve  the  efficiency  of  prosecuting  serious  and  organised  crime  cases,  including  money 
laundering cases and the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets by the systematic tracking of 
money flows, the effective use of financial investigations and special investigative measures, and 
the systemic use of extended confiscation; 

→  amend  the  Criminal  Code  to  effectively  criminalise  the  trafficking  of  weapons,  adopt  the  new 
Law on weapons and ammunition and step up the fight against the storage, sale and ownership of 
illegal firearms; adopt the Law on trafficking in human beings; 

→  take  specific  steps  to  ensure  a  clear  separation  between  mandates  and  regulations  concerning 
criminal  investigations  carried  out  by  law  enforcement  institutions  and  security  measures 
executed by the Security Information Agency (BIA). 

Economic criteria  

The existence of a functioning market economy 

Serbia has a good level of preparation and has made limited progress in developing a functioning 
market economy. 

In 2024, economic activity was robust, but slowed markedly in the first half of 2025 while external 
imbalances increased. The budget deficit turned out lower than planned in 2024 and monetary policy 
remained  relatively  tight,  which  helped  inflation  return  to  the  target  band.  The  banking  sector 
remained  stable,  and  the  labour  market  improved  further.  Serbia  postponed  the  full  application  of 
some fiscal rules and the reform of the public sector wage system faced further delays. State aid rules 
are not always implemented due to strong political pressure to provide financial assistance to state-
owned enterprises (SOEs) and large foreign investors. SOEs continue to have an outsized presence in 
many structurally important sectors. The business environment is hampered by red tape, weaknesses 
in  the  rule  of  law  and  limited  efficiency  and  transparency  of  the  public  administration.  The 
government  has  interfered  significantly  in  the  goods  market  by  instituting  on  a  very  short  notice  a 
20%  margin  cap  for  a  wide  variety  of  goods  from  1  September  2025  for  the  following  6  months. 
While it is intended to benefit consumers through lower inflation, the measure risks causing market 
distortions and having a negative impact on investment. 

Last  year’s  recommendations  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and  therefore  remain  largely 
valid. To improve the functioning of the market economy, Serbia should in particular: 

→  keep  an  appropriately  tight  policy  stance  to  maintain  price  stability,  including  by  containing 

current spending; 

→  swiftly advance the reform of the public sector wage system; 

→  adopt implementing legislation to fully implement the SOE law and strengthen SOE governance 

to reduce the associated fiscal risks. 

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

Serbia  is  between  a  moderate  and  a  good  level  of  preparation  and  has  made  some  progress  in 
coping with competitive pressure and market forces in the EU. The manufacturing and service sectors 
are well-developed, benefiting from close economic integration with the EU. Serbia has made some 
progress  in  facilitating  the  school-to-work  transition.  Educational  outcomes  are  below  the  OECD 

8 

 
 
average  and  public  spending  on  education  and  research  remains  below  the  EU  average.  There  are 
wide infrastructure gaps, especially in certain sectors, despite higher government investment. Digital 
transformation  is  well  advanced.  SMEs  still  face  obstacles,  including  an  uneven  playing  field 
compared with large companies and foreign investors. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  have  been  partially  implemented.  Over  the 
coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  improve  education  outcomes  and  skills,  including  by  increasing  enrolment  rates,  modernising 

vocational education and training, and stepping up lifelong learning; 

→  further  strengthen  public  investment  management,  including  by  putting  in  place  a  single, 
comprehensive  and  transparent  system  for  prioritising  and  selecting  all  public  investments, 
regardless of the type and source of financing and in line with the best international standards; 

→  further advance green transition reforms, connectivity and diversify sources of energy imports. 

Chapter 5: Public procurement 

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  public  procurement.  It  made  limited  progress  by 
increasing  the  use  of  green  and  social  procurement,  as  well  as  the  price  and  quality  criterion  for 
contract award. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were implemented to a limited extent and remain 
largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  further align its legislation with the 2014 EU directives on public procurement, in particular by 
amending the Law on public-private partnerships and concessions and by ensuring that projects 
are subject to public procurement procedures; 

→  ensure  that  procurement  rules  under  intergovernmental  agreements  with  third  countries  comply 

with the public procurement principles, in line with the EU acquis; 

→  further  strengthen  the  capacity  of  the  Public  Procurement  Office,  the  Commission  for  Public-
Private  Partnerships and  Concessions,  the  Republic  Commission  for  the  Protection  of  Rights  in 
Public Procedures and the Administrative Court. 

Chapter 18 - Statistics  

Serbia  is  between  a  moderate  and  a  good  level  of  preparation  in  the  area  of  statistics.  Some 
progress  was  made  during  the  reporting  period  with continued improvements in the compilation 
of macroeconomic statistics, in line with the European System of Accounts (ESA 2010).  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  adopt  a  new  statistical  law  to  increase  the  statistical  office’s  professional  independence,  while 

taking into account the revised Regulation (EC) No 223/2009; 

→  continue  to  improve  the  compilation  of  macroeconomic  statistics  in  line  with  the  European 

System of Accounts (ESA 2010).  

Chapter 32: Financial control 

Serbia is moderately prepared in the area of financial control.  Limited progress was made in the 
reporting period, notably by adopting the managerial accountability roadmap. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  ensure the public internal financial control (PIFC) legal basis is fully consistent with the general 

legal framework; 

9 

 
 
→  create an effective internal audit function in all central budget institutions;  

→  implement the managerial accountability roadmap swiftly and effectively. 

CLUSTER 2: INTERNAL MARKET 

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods 

Serbia is moderately prepared in the area of free movement of goods. Limited progress was made 
during  the  reporting  period  with  the  revision  of  the  strategic  documents  under  this  chapter  in 
accordance with Commission’s assessment. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were implemented to a limited extent and remain 
valid. In the coming year Serbia should, in particular: 

→  ensure timely implementation of the strategic documents ensuring compliance with Articles 34-36 
of  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union  (TFEU)  and  all  the  EU  acquis  in  this 
chapter; 

→  align with the latest EU acquis on market surveillance and on machinery.  

Chapter 2 - Freedom of movement for workers   

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  freedom  of  movement  for  workers.  Serbia  made  limited 
progress by simplifying the issuance of work and residence permits for foreigners and by continuing 
to improve electronic data exchange with Member States. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  continue  to  work  on  concluding  additional  agreements  on  social  security  coordination  with  EU 
Member  States  and  develop  IT  infrastructures  for  the  European  Health  Insurance  Card  (EHIC) 
and  Electronic  Exchange  of  Social  Security  Information  (EESSI)  purposes,  as  well  as 
administrative capacities in view of joining the future EESSI Network; 

→  start preparations to join the European Labour Authority; 

→  start preparing for the alignment of national legislation with the EU acquis on free movement of 
workers – on access for EU citizens to the labour market and on equal treatment of EU citizens 
with nationals in the labour market. 

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 
Serbia is moderately prepared in these areas. Some progress was made, in particular following 
the  adoption  of  the  horizontal  Law  on  services  and  the  Law  on  postal  services,  which  achieve 
further alignment with the EU acquis. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented.  In  the  coming 
year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  further  align  its  horizontal  law  on  services  with  the  EU  Services  Directive,  advance 
harmonisation of sectoral laws with the horizontal law and the EU  acquis, and create a portal 
for the point of single contact providing online information for service providers, including all 
relevant administrative procedures;  

→  finalise alignment with the EU acquis on postal services and implement the postal market rules;  

→  continue aligning with the EU acquis on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications, 
including  the  directives  on  the  recognition  of  professional  qualifications  and  on  a 
proportionality test. 

10 

 
 
 
Chapter 4: Free movement of capital 
Serbia is between a moderate and a good level of preparation on the free movement of capital. 
Some  progress  was  made  during  the  reporting  period,  in  particular  with  the  adoption  of  several 
amendments  to  the  legal  framework  on  anti-money  laundering  and  counter-terrorism  financing 
(AML/CFT) and implementing legislation on payment services, to align further with the EU acquis. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  partially  implemented.  In  the  coming 
year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  liberalise capital movements in line with its obligations under the Stabilisation and Association 
Agreement  (SAA),  including  by  removing  the  remaining  restrictions  on  the  acquisition  of 
agricultural land by EU nationals and by adopting amendments to the Law on the elements of 
property law relations to ensure equal treatment on the acquisition of property rights;  

→  demonstrate  greater  effectiveness 

in  monitoring,  supervision, 

financial 

intelligence, 

investigation and reporting by building a track record of action in the field of AML/CFT. 

Chapter 6: Company law 
Serbia has a good level of preparation in company law. No progress was made during the reporting 
period. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  further align its legislation with the EU acquis on company law, particularly on takeover bids;  

→  align  its  legislation  with  the  EU  acquis  on  cross-border  operations  (conversions,  mergers  and 

divisions) and on the use of digital tools and processes in company law; 

→  further align its legislation on company reporting and transparency. 

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law 
Serbia has a good level of preparation in intellectual property rights (IPR). No progress was made in 
the reporting period.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  align  the  copyright  and  related  rights  legislation  with  the  EU  directives  on  collective  rights 
management, on orphan works and on certain permitted uses of certain works and other subject 
matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually 
impaired or otherwise print-disabled;  

→  strengthen enforcement by improving capacities to handle IPR cases and improving coordination 

among different stakeholders. 

Chapter 8: Competition policy 

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  competition  policy.  In  2024,  Serbia  made  limited  progress  by 
finalising the inventory of State aid schemes. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent,  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  align  the  existing  fiscal  State  aid  schemes  and  work  on  aligning  the  Law  on  multilateral 
interchange  fees  and  special  operating  rules  for  card-based  payment  transactions  with  the  EU 
acquis and with obligations from the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA); 

11 

 
 
→  ensure that the notification and standstill obligations are systematically respected for all State aid 
measures and build a solid track record in implementing the laws on protection of competition 
and State aid control; 

→  in line with the Reform Agenda, finalise the action plan to align all existing schemes identified as 

being incompatible with SAA obligations.  

Chapter 9: Financial services 
Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  financial  services.  Some  progress  was  made, 
particularly with the adoption of amendments to the Law on banks aiming to further align with the 
Capital  Requirements  Regulation  (CRR  II),  the  Capital  Requirements  Directive  (CRD  V)  and  the 
Bank Recovery and Resolution Directive (BRRD). 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  continue to align the banking regulation with the latest versions of CRR/CRD and BRRD;  

→  continue to align with the EU acquis on insurance, including the Solvency II Directive; 

→  continue  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  financial  markets  infrastructure  and  capital  markets, 
including the Markets in Financial Instruments Regulation (MiFIR), the Directive on alternative 
investment  fund  managers  (AIFMD)  and  the  Directive  relating  to  undertakings  for  collective 
investment in transferable securities (UCITS). 

Chapter 28: Consumer and health protection 
Serbia is  moderately  prepared  in consumer and health  protection.  Limited  progress  was  made  in 
implementing  consumer  protection  legislation,  notably  by  adopting  the  law  on  the  protection  of 
financial service consumers which is aimed to align with the EU acquis. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent,  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should, in particular: 

→ further align its legislation with the EU acquis on substances of human origin, on patients’ rights 
in  cross-border  healthcare,  on  tobacco  control  and  on  medicinal  products  for  human  and  for 
veterinary use;  

→  amend the Law on health records and documentation to ensure that it fully complies with EU data 

protection requirements and with the EU acquis; 

→  further align with the EU acquis on consumer protection and general product safety. 

CLUSTER 3: COMPETITIVENESS AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media 

Serbia is moderately prepared in the field of digital transformation and media. Some progress was 
made  on  digitalisation,  with  the  adoption  of  the  media  laws  and  the  transposition  of  the  EU  5G 
Cybersecurity Toolbox. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should, in particular: 

→  further align its electronic communications, digital trust and cybersecurity legislation with the EU 
regulatory  framework,  including the  Gigabit  Infrastructure  Act,  eIDAS  2.0, the NIS2  Directive, 
and the Artificial Intelligence Act; 

12 

 
 
   
 
→  ensure  full  financial  and  operational  independence  of  the  regulator  for  electronic  media  (REM) 
and the regulator for electronic communication and postal services (RATEL) in line with the EU 
acquis, including the EU Electronic Communications Code; 

→  fully  implement  the  adopted  media  legislation,  including  with  respect  to  the  financial  and 
functional independence of the Public Broadcasting Services and the REM Council, and further 
amend  the  media  laws  to  align  with  the  European  Media  Freedom  Act,  in  an  inclusive  and 
transparent process. 

Chapter 16: Taxation 
Serbia is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in the area of taxation. It made some 
progress in particular in aligning with the EU minimum excise duties on tobacco and the amendments 
to the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Law introducing pre-filled VAT statements.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  continue implementing the Tax Administration transformation programme, in particular finalising 
the procurement and starting implementation of an integrated information system to support the 
Tax Administration’s new business model, and hire additional staff;  

→  further  align  its  legislation  with  the  EU  acquis  in  the  areas  of  VAT,  excise  duties  and  direct 

taxation; 

→  sign the Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement on automatic exchange of financial account 

information and commit to a date for first exchanges.   

Chapter 17: Economic and monetary policy  
Serbia is between a moderate and a good level of preparation in economic and monetary policy. 
Some progress was made in 2024 by amending the Law on the National Bank of Serbia (NBS) and 
by improving, including on transparency, the 2025 budget law.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→  fully align the legislation on the NBS with the EU acquis to ensure its full independence;  

→  further align the Budget System Law with Directive 85/2011 in the field of macroeconomic and 
fiscal  projections,  with  a  three-year  spending  timeframe  and  transparency,  including  for  capital 
transfer and guarantees to SOEs, and accounting and statistical reporting.  

Chapter 19: Social policy and employment 
Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  social  policy  and  employment.  Serbia  made  no 
progress  during  the  reporting  period.  Serbia  needs  to  continue  aligning  its  legislation  with  the  EU 
acquis in the area of non-discrimination and equality, including also gender equality. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming period, Serbia should in particular: 

→  address the recommendations made in the previous functional reviews of the national employment 
service  to  ensure  sufficient  financial  and  institutional  resources  for  employment  and  social 
policies,  to  systematically  focus  on  supporting  young  people,  women  and  the  long-term 
unemployed, and continue implementing the Youth Guarantee pilot; 

→  launch consultations on the new labour law, including rules on foreign seconded workers in line 
with the EU acquis, and a new law on strike and further capacity building for social partners, and 
avoid  further  delays  in  implementing  the  action  plan  for  Chapter  19,  including  aligning  further 
with  the  EU  acquis  in  the  area  of  non-discrimination  and  equality  in  employment  and  social 
policy; 

13 

 
 
→  adopt the delayed social protection strategy and amendments to the social welfare law to improve 
the  coverage  and adequacy  of  social  benefits  for  people  below  the  poverty threshold, including 
financial social assistance and child allowances, tackle the high caseload of social welfare centres, 
and  address  the  recommendations  made  by  the  European  Commission  against  Racism  and 
Intolerance  (ECRI)  on  the  decision-making  process  of  the  Social  Card  and  its impact  on  Roma 
and other vulnerable individuals. 

Chapter 20: Enterprise and industrial policy 

Serbia is moderately prepared on enterprise and industrial policy. Limited progress was made, in 
particular with the adoption of five pieces of legislation to implement the Law on the governance of 
state-owned enterprises (SOEs). 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent,  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→ 

→ 

further  improve  the  predictability  of  the  business  environment,  in  particular  by  substantially 
increasing the proportion of legislative acts opened for public consultation; 

in line with the Reform Agenda, adopt outstanding implementing legislation to ensure proper 
implementation of the SOE law; 

→  adopt a new action plan to continue the implementation of the industrial strategy and further 

increase resources for financial and technical support to SMEs.  

Chapter 25: Science and research 

Serbia  has  a  good  level  of  preparation  in  science  and  research.  No  progress  was  made  in  the 
reporting period. Although the action plan for the Smart Specialisation strategy and the strategy for 
the  development  of  a  start-up  ecosystem  continued  to  be  implemented,  this  was  overshadowed  by 
negative developments affecting the autonomy of research institutes and universities.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  ensure the autonomy of research institutes and universities and the respect of academic freedom 
and freedom of scientific research, in line with the principles of the European Research Area; 

→  increase  its  national  funding  for  research  and  innovation  and  continue  implementing  the  Smart 

Specialisation Strategy; 

→  align its legislation with the European Research Infrastructure Consortium Regulation in line with 

the Reform Agenda. 

Chapter 26: Education and culture 

Serbia has a good level of preparation in education and culture. No progress was made overall in 
the reporting period. While some positive steps were taken, in particular by further consolidating the 
national  qualifications  framework  system,  the  delivery  of  quality  education  was  impacted  by  the 
discontinuity  of  education  throughout  the  2024/2025  school  year,  measures  worsening  the  working 
conditions  of  teaching  staff  and  dismissals  and  non-renewals  of  contracts  of  a  high  number  of 
teaching staff and principals at the start of the new school year. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should in particular: 

→ support children and young people, notably the most vulnerable, by bridging learning gaps during 
the school year 2024/2025, improve the working conditions of teaching staff and ensure respect of 
academic  freedom,  in  line  with  the  principles  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  and  the 
Bologna Follow-up Group; 

14 

 
 
→ increase  the  number  of  children  attending  early  childhood  education  and  care,  in  particular 

children from disadvantaged backgrounds; 

→ ensure that the policy and institutional framework for quality assurance in higher education fully 
complies with the recommendations of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher 
Education. 

Chapter 29: Customs union 

Serbia has a good level of preparation in the area of the customs union. It made limited progress, in 
particular  with  the  adoption  of  amendments  to  existing  legislation,  including  secondary  legislation, 
with the aim of further alignment with the EU acquis, as well as partial operationalisation of the new 
risk analysis IT system RMS. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent,  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  further  upgrade  the  customs  processing  system  by  integrating  risk  management  in  all  customs 

procedures;  

→  further develop the national customs IT system to enable interconnection and interoperability with 

the EU electronic customs environment; 

→  upgrade its national component of the New Computerised Transit System (NCTS) to Phase 6. 

CLUSTER 4: THE GREEN AGENDA AND SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY  

Chapter 14: Transport policy 

Serbia  has  a  good  level  of  preparation  in  this  field.  No  progress  was  made  during  the  reporting 
period.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were not implemented and therefore remain valid. 
In the coming year, Serbia, should in particular: 

→  adopt the national transport strategy in line with the new TEN-T Regulation requirements; improve 
the maintenance system for road and rail infrastructure; continue with alignment and simplification 
of road and rail border crossing procedures, including in the context of the EU-Western Balkans 
Green Lanes; and implement measures in the action plan for the national road safety strategy; 

→  ensure  that  procurement  procedures  for  transport  infrastructure  projects  follow  the  principles  of 
transparency, equal treatment and open competition, while also strengthening the legal, technical, 
administrative,  and  institutional  frameworks  associated  with  those  projects,  including  the 
establishment of fully independent quality control mechanisms; 

→  on rail reform, continue aligning legislation with the Fourth Railway Package and adopt the Law 
on Railways and the Law on Railway Safety; start addressing bottlenecks hindering the efficiency 
and quality of preparation and implementation of infrastructure investment projects. 

Chapter 15: Energy 

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  energy.  Some  progress  was  made  on  last  year’s 
recommendations.  Achievements  include  the  certification  of  the  Transportgas  company,  alignment 
with and commencement of implementation of the Electricity Integration Package, the issuance of the 
usage permit for the gas interconnector between Serbia and Bulgaria, and further alignment with the 
EU’s Renewable Energy Directive.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should, in particular: 

15 

 
 
 
→  accelerate  the  implementation  of  the  Electricity  Integration  Package,  including  determining  net 
transmission capacities and allocating capacity on all cross-border interconnections, including on 
the bidding zone border between Transmission System Operators (TSOs) EMS and KOSTT; 

→  complete the unbundling of Srbijagas, ensure effective, non-discriminatory, and transparent third-
party access at all gas entry points, and certify the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility 
in  accordance  with  the  Gas  Storage  Regulation;  align  with  and  implement  the  Gas  Storage 
Regulation  and  Gas  Security  of  Supply  regulations,  including  the  development  of  a  risk 
assessment, preventive action plan and emergency plan;  

→  finalise and adopt the implementing legislation on the energy performance of buildings and set up 

the Just Transition governance process in line with the adopted Just Transition action plan. 

Chapter 21 - Trans-European networks   

Serbia  is  between  a  moderate  and  a  good  level  of  preparation  in  the  area  of  trans-European 
networks.  Overall,  some  progress  has  been  made,  including  the  commissioning  and  commercial 
operations of the Serbia-Bulgaria gas interconnector (IBS), as well as the start of works on Section III 
of the Trans-Balkan Electricity Corridor. 

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should, in particular: 

→  continue  to  improve  transport  and  energy  infrastructure  connections,  ensuring  quality  and 

transparency in line with EU standards; Serbia to transpose the revised TEN-E Regulation; 

→ continue the implementation of the Section III and project preparation for section IV of the Trans-
Balkan Electricity Corridor between Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro; continue 
project preparation for the Pannonian corridor that includes the line 400 kV Subotica-Sandorfalva;  

→  conclude  project  preparations  and  launch  the  procurement  process  for  works  to  modernise  the 
railway  sections  on  Corridor  X  from  Belgrade  to  Niš;  accelerate  implementation  of  the  Niš-
Dimitrovgrad railway line, including the Niš rail bypass; and complete the Niš-Brestovac railway 
section.  

Chapter 27 - Environment and climate change  

Serbia has some level of preparation in the area of environment and climate change. Some progress 
was  made  through  improved  legislation  on  Environmental  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  and  Strategic 
Environmental  Assessment  (SEA),  the  adoption  of  the  law  on  air  quality,  implementation  of 
Monitoring,  Reporting,  Verification  and  Accreditation  (MRVA)  legislation  covering  stationary 
installations,  the  adoption  of  a  waste  prevention  plan  and  adoption  of  legislation  on  hazard  risk 
management.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should, in particular: 

→  implement measures set out in: (i) the action plan for administrative capacity development; (ii) the 
low  carbon  development  strategy;  (iii)  the  programme  on  air  protection;  and  (iv)  implement 
extended producers’ responsibility (EPR) system for specific waste streams, in accordance with 
the polluter pays principle;  

→  adopt  legislation  in  line  with  the  Environmental  Crime  Directive;  adopt  the  environmental 
protection  strategy;  introduce  a  national  carbon  pricing  mechanism  and  expand  alignment  with 
and implementation of MRVA acquis for the purpose of aligning with the EU Emissions Trading 
System (EU ETS) in its full scope;   

16 

 
 
→  improve  the  policy  dialogue  with  civil  society  organisations  and  ensure  transparent  public 
participation;  ensure  that  infrastructure  investments  comply  with  the  EU  environmental  and 
climate acquis and national and international nature and water obligations. 

CLUSTER 5: RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND COHESION 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development 

Serbia  has  some level  of  preparation  in  agriculture and rural development.  Limited  progress  was 
made with the rollover of entrusted IPARD measures. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should, in particular: 

→  urgently  take  measures  to  start  implementation  of  IPARD  III  and  avoid  further  losses  of  EU 
funds,  notably  by  increasing  capacity  building,  ensuring  more  efficient  contracting  and 
implementation of projects, and preparing new measures for entrustment as soon as possible; 

→  speed  up  the  implementation  of  the  action  plan  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  in  agriculture  and 
rural  development  and  adopt  legislation  relevant  to  agricultural  markets,  quality  policy  and 
organic farming; 

→  adopt a national strategy for agriculture and rural development. 

Chapter 12 - Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy  
Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  food  safety,  veterinary  and  phytosanitary  policy. 
Limited  progress  was  made  during  the  reporting  period  following  the  adoption  of  two  framework 
laws which aim to align with the EU acquis. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should, in particular: 

→  adopt the framework legislation on food safety, official controls, animal health, animal welfare, 
plant  health  and  genetically  modified  organisms,  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis;  strengthen 
administrative capacity to ensure correct implementation; 

→  adopt and start implementing the national plan to align legislation with EU quality standards for 

raw milk; 

→  prioritise the process of upgrading establishments producing food, feed and animal by-products to 

meet EU structural standards. 

Chapter 13 - Fisheries and aquaculture 

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in the  area  of  fisheries  and  aquaculture.  Some progress  was made 
during the reporting period, in particular with the adoption of the action plan for alignment with the 
EU acquis by the date of accession.  

The Commission’s recommendations from last year were partially implemented. In the coming year, 
Serbia should, in particular: 

→ start  implementing  the  action  plan  for  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis,  in  particular  on  the 
organisation of markets, aquaculture, data collection, control measures and illegal, unreported and 
unregulated (IUU) fishing;  

→  address  the  severe  understaffing  of  the  authorities  responsible  for  developing  policy  and  anti-

fraud controls for fisheries (including border controls). 

Chapter 22: Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments 

17 

 
 
 
Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  regional  policy  and  the  coordination  of  structural 
instruments.  It  made  limited  progress,  notably  by  increasing  its  administrative  capacity  and 
improving programming. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent,  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→ put  in  place  a  national  plan  to  promote  regional  development  and  effectively  address  regional 
disparities, and build a resilient ecosystem involving all levels of government and relevant non-
state bodies, in line with the partnership principle;  

→ advance the public administration reforms in a coordinated manner, implementing effectively its 
local-self-government component, through the necessary financial and fiscal decentralisation; 

→ strengthen  further  the  financial  management  and  control  systems  and  the  capacity  for  indirect 
management  of  EU  funds  by  adopting  a  comprehensive  staff  retention  policy  and  tackling  the 
issue of understaffing in critical functions and in the institutions that manage EU funds.  

Chapter 33: Financial and budgetary provisions 

Serbia has some level of preparation in the area of financial and budgetary provisions. No progress 
was made over the reporting period. 

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  not  implemented  and  therefore  remain 
valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular:  

→ develop organisational and procedural links between the institutions involved in the own resources 

system;  

→ continue  preparations  to  meet  the  specific  administrative  conditions  for  own  resources,  as  laid 
down in the EU own resources regulations, including by drafting an action plan with  a   timeline 
to meet the administrative conditions. 

CLUSTER 6: EXTERNAL RELATIONS  

Chapter 30: External relations 

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  external  relations.  No  progress  was  made  as  Serbia 
temporarily  introduced  a  number  of  trade  restrictive  measures  that  were  not  in  line  with  the 
Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).  

The  Commission’s  recommendations  from  last  year  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and 
therefore remain largely valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  refrain from adopting new trade restrictive measures; 

→  adopt a WTO-compliant law on genetically modified organisms to move forward in the remaining 

negotiations on bilateral market access and finalise its accession to the WTO;  

→  continue  to  implement  the  actions  set  out  in  the  new  common  regional  market  action  plan  for 
2025-2028 and implement the nine decisions adopted in the context of the Central European Free 
Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in October 2024 and the four decisions adopted in February 2025.  

Chapter 31 - Foreign, security and defence policy  

Serbia  is  moderately  prepared  in  the  area  of  EU  common  foreign,  security  and  defence  policy. 
Overall,  it  made  limited  progress  over  the  reporting  period.  While  alignment  patterns  remained 
largely  unchanged,  Serbia  aligned  retroactively  with  several  Council  decisions  and  EU  statements, 
including some decisions listing Russian citizens and statements condemning Russia’s actions . Still, 

18 

 
 
 
some of Serbia’s actions and statements went against key EU foreign policy positions, especially on 
the Russian Federation. High-level and frequent bilateral contacts with Russia intensified, including 
attendance  at  the  9  May  Russian  military  parade,  combined  with  recurrent  anti-Western  narratives, 
raising further questions about Serbia’s strategic direction. Serbia’s Free Trade Agreement with China 
entered  into  force  on  1 July  2024,  posing  a  strategic  concern.  Serbia  has  not  aligned  with  the  EU 
sanctions on Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, however, Serbia continued cooperating with the 
EU  on  countering  sanctions  circumvention  and  providing  support  to  Ukraine.  Serbia  continued  to 
participate in and contribute substantially to EU crisis management missions and operations under the 
EU’s common security and defence policy. 

The  recommendations  issued  in  2024  were  implemented  to  a  limited  extent  and  therefore  remain 
valid. In the coming year, Serbia should in particular: 

→  improve,  as  a  matter  of  priority,  its  alignment  with  EU  common  foreign  and  security  policy 
(CFSP),  including  restrictive  measures,  and  avoid  actions  and  statements  that  go  against  EU 
foreign policy positions; 

→  make  credible  efforts  to  close  the  space  for  foreign  information  manipulation  and  interference 
(FIMI), including disinformation, and take action to build societal resilience against it and other 
forms of hybrid threats; 

→  continue  to  take  action  to  prevent  any  attempt  to  use  the  territory  of  Serbia  or  legal  bodies 

registered in Serbia to circumvent EU restrictive measures. 

1.3  STATE OF PLAY OF THE ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS 

Clusters 

Chapters/areas 

1. Fundamentals 

All chapters open 

2. Internal market 
4 chapters open 

23 – Judiciary and fundamental 
Rights 

24 – Justice, freedom and security 
5 – Public procurement 
18 – Statistics 
32 – Financial control 
…Economic criteria 
…Functioning of democratic 
institutions 
…Public administration reform 
1 – Free movement of goods 

2 – Freedom of movement for 
Workers 
3 – Right of establishment and 
freedom to establish services 

4 – Free movement of capital 
6 – Company law 
7 – Intellectual property rights 
8 – Competition 

3.Competitiveness 
and inclusive 

9 – Financial services 
28 – Consumer and health protection 
10 – Digital transformation and 
media 

19 

State of play 

Opened July 2016 

Opened July 2016 
Opened December 2016 
Opened December 2018 
Opened December 2015 

Serbia  working  on 
benchmarks 
Draft EU Common Position in Council 

fulfilment  of  opening 

Draft EU Common Position in Council 

Opened December 2019 
Opened December 2017 
Opened June 2017 
Serbia working on fulfilment of opening 
benchmarks 
Opened June 2019 
Draft EU Common Position in Council 
Draft EU Common Position in Council 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
growth 

5 chapters open 

4. Green agenda 
and sustainable 
connectivity 

All chapters open 
5. Resources, 
agriculture and 
cohesion 

2 chapters open 

External 

6. 
relations 
1 chapter open 

Not part of a cluster: 

16 – Taxation 
17 – Economic and monetary policy 
19 – Social policy and employment 
20 – Enterprise and industrial policy 
25 – Science and research 

Draft EU Common Position in Council 
Opened December 2018 
Draft EU Common Position in Council 
Opened February 2017 
Opened December 2016 and provisionally closed 

26 – Education and culture 

Opened February 2017 and provisionally closed 

29 – Customs union 
14 – Transport policy 
15 – Energy 
21 – Trans-European networks 
27 – Environment and climate 
Change 
11 – Agriculture and rural 
development 
12 – Food safety, veterinary and 
phytosanitary policy 
13 – Fisheries and aquaculture 
22 – Regional policy and 
coordination of structural 
instruments 
33 – Financial and budgetary 
Provisions 
30 – External relations 
31  –  Foreign,  security  and  defence 
policy 

Opened June 2017 
Opened December 2021 
Opened December 2021 
Opened December 2021 
Opened December 2021 

Opening  Benchmarks  Assessment  Report 
Council 
Serbia working on fulfilment of opening 
benchmarks 
Opened June 2018 
Opening  Benchmarks  Assessment  Report 
Council 

in 

in 

Opened June 2018 

Opened December 2017 
Screening report in Council 

Chapter 34 – Institutions, currently not applicable for Serbia 
Chapter 35 – Other issues (including Normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo) opened in 
December 2015 

* * * 

2. CLUSTER 1: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE ACCESSION PROCESS 

2.1. FUNCTIONING OF DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM  

2.1.1 Democracy 

There  are  challenges  in  Serbia  in  the  functioning  of  democratic  institutions  due  to  an  increasingly 
polarised political situation, both at national and local levels. The tragic fall of a canopy at the Novi 
Sad railway station on 1 November 2024 that killed 16 people prompted mass nation-wide student and 
citizen  protests  and  blockades  across the  country  that  continue  to  take  place.  For  the most  part, the 
authorities  allowed  the  protests  to  take  place  and  police  ensured  security  during  the  protests. 
However, several incidents and attacks against students and peaceful protesters have been recorded, 
including  attacks  that  led  to  heavy  injuries,  hit  and  run  cases  and  other  physical  attacks.  Incidents 
intensified  over  the  summer,  including  vandalism  and  attacks  on  properties  of  individuals  and 
businesses seen as supportive of the protests. There were also incidents of attacks against unprotected 
ruling  party  premises.  As  of  late  June,  the  authorities  have  adopted  a  more  repressive  approach, 
including  numerous  arrests  and  reports  of  excessive  use  of  force  against  protesters.  State  officials 
frequently  framed  the  protests  as  a  foreign-backed  ‘colour  revolution’  aimed  at  overthrowing  the 
constitutional  order  of  the  country,  thereby  undermining  the  legitimacy  of  the  issues  raised  by 
students  and  citizens.  At  the  same  time,  the  President  granted  pardon  to  several  individuals 
responsible  for  attacks  on  students,  and  some  student  protesters,  shielding  them  from  criminal 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
prosecution. All key state universities were blocked, and teaching process was suspended for months. 
Online  classes  and  in-person  teaching  at  some  state  faculties  resumed  at  the  end  of  June.  Several 
governmental  measures  on  research  and  education  interfered  with  the  institutional  autonomy  of 
faculties and eroded academic freedom, notably the temporary reduction of salaries for teaching and 
academic staff and the limitation of working hours dedicated to research. 

Elections 

The  general  framework  regarding  elections  requires  comprehensive  reform.  Priority  OSCE/ODIHR 
recommendations  are  yet  to  be  implemented.  These  relate  to  the  separation  of  state  and  party, 
inclusiveness  and  comprehensiveness  of  the  electoral  reform,  audit  of  the  voter  register  and 
transparency  of  voter  list  data,  greater  oversight  of  election  campaigns  and  their  financing,  and 
measures to enable media freedom and independence. 

An  inclusive  parliamentary  working  group  on  the  improvement  of  election  conditions  was  set  up, 
chaired  by  a  CSO  representative,  but  failed  to  reach  consensus  or  produce  effective  results.  By 
February 2025, both opposition representatives and CSOs had withdrawn from it. The working group 
had  focused  on  changes  to  the  Law  on  unified  voter  register,  on  which  alternative  proposals  were 
drafted,  one  by  the  ruling  party  SNS  and  one  by  a  renowned  Serbian  CSO.  Between  March  and 
September  2025, 
the  ODIHR 
provided  opinions  on  various 
the  ruling  party’s 
versions  of 
proposals.  The 
parliamentary 
Committee  for  constitutional  and 
legislative  issues  organised  nine 
public  hearings  on  various  draft 
proposals.  Only  one  was  attended 
by  CSOs  and  some  opposition 
parties  sporadically  took  part.  In 
October, 
the  ruling  party  and 
expert CSOs reached an agreement 
on  the  draft  law  which  remains  to 
be adopted.  

In  December  2024,  the  Parliament’s  secretariat  adopted  a  rulebook  on  the  internal  organisation 
foreseeing the establishment of a new sector of support to the State Electoral Commission.  

No national elections were held during the reporting period. The Constitutional Court has not issued 
rulings on opposition motions challenging the December 2023 snap parliamentary and local elections 
yet.  In  June  2025,  regular  local  elections  were  held  in  municipalities  of  Zaječar  and  Kosjerić. 
According to domestic CSOs observers they were ‘neither free not fair’ and were held in a ‘climate of 
fear and repression, marked by institutional pressure, violence and heavy police presence in front of 
the  polling  stations  throughout  the  day’.  In  the  aftermath  of  the  elections  in  Zaječar,  a  legal  and 
political  controversy  emerged  regarding  the  constitution  of  the  City  administration.  After  the  High 
Court annulled the constitutive session of the City Assembly for being held after the legal deadline, 
the ruling majority proceeded with the election of the City leadership nevertheless, on the basis of an 
opinion by the competent Ministry.  

Despite some measures to achieve a more balanced representation, including a gender quota of 40% 
for electoral lists, in practice women remain underrepresented in political life. The widest disparities 
remain at local level. 

Parliament 

The  effectiveness,  autonomy  and  transparency  of  the  work  of  Parliament,  and  the  role  of  the 

21 

 
 
parliamentary opposition, need to be strengthened. The exercise of parliamentary powers is limited by 
the low frequency of sessions, a lack of genuine political debate, and a lack of an annual work plan for 
Parliament, with its agenda almost entirely driven by the government. Plenary and committee sessions 
continue to be marked by tensions and offensive language. Two plenary sessions during the reporting 
period  were  marked  by  incidents,  including  verbal  and  physical  attacks.  At  times,  parliamentary 
sessions lacked an impartial reaction from the Speaker, as stipulated by  the procedural rules, due to 
direct exchanges with the opposition. 

Nearly all laws and bills adopted by Parliament had been proposed by the government. The practice of 
amalgamating  a  number  of  unrelated  agenda  items  continued,  and  in  November  2024,  68  acts, 
including  the  State  budget,  were  adopted  without  any  debate.  Contrary  to  constitutional  rules, 
opposition motions for the dismissal of the Speaker were not included in the agenda for debate and 
vote. Eleven public hearings were held in 2025 and two in 2024. No sessions of MP questions to the 
government were held in 2025 and only two were held in 2024 (in July and September). The use of 
the urgency procedure remained low (9.15% from September 2024 until September 2025). 

EU integration 

The  negotiating  structure  framework  for  EU  accession  was  amended  in  November  2024.  The 
centralised  and  politically  driven  coordination  structures  remain  largely  unchanged  from  previous 
arrangements. The bodies supporting EU accession negotiations now also oversee the implementation 
of  the  Reform  and  Growth  Facility.  Accordingly,  the  Minister  for  European  Integration  serves 
simultaneously  as  Chief  Negotiator  and  as  Coordinator  of  the  Reform  and  Growth  Facility  for  the 
2024-2027 period. The Ministry for European Integration continues to be the formal focal point for 
consultations and engagement with civil society, business community and local self-governments in 
the negotiating process. 

In  November  2024,  the  government  brought  forward  its  strategic  objective  to  meet  all  technical 
criteria for EU membership by one year and set the new target date to the end of 2026. To align with 
this accelerated timeline, the Government adopted, in April 2025, a dedicated Plan for fulfilling the 
key  obligations  from  the  EU  accession  negotiation  process,  and  subsequently,  in  August  2025, 
amended the National Program for the Adoption of the Acquis (NPAA), thereby ensuring consistency 
between these documents and with its commitments under the Reform and Growth Facility. Despite 
this  more  ambitious  goal, Serbia  has  not  advanced  substantially  in  terms  of  alignment  with  the  EU 
acquis. Nevertheless, certain progress has been made in improving institutional IT planning. 

Serbia  continues  to  declare  EU  membership  a  strategic  goal.  To  convincingly  demonstrate  this 
strategic  goal,  the  Serbian  authorities  need  to  prioritise  unambiguous,  proactive  and  objective 
communication  about  the  EU  and  about  Serbia’s  accession  path.  In  parallel,  they  must  carry  out  a 
determined, consistent and genuine implementation of EU-related reforms. 

The National Convention on the EU (NCEU), an umbrella platform engaging CSOs in the accession 
process, continues to act as a public watchdog for the accession negotiations. However, in February 
2025,  the  NCEU  suspended  their  participation  in  processes  that  entail  cooperation  with  political 
decision-makers  citing  deteriorating  environment  for  civil  society  as  well  as  loss  of  inclusivity  and 
lack of meaningful participation of civil society in political processes. 

Governance 

The practical exercise of presidential powers is intensively debated in public discourse, amid concerns 
that the political debate and the decision-making is in practice steered by the President in a way that is 
not intended under the Constitution. 

Several changes to the government composition occurred during the reporting period. Following the 
fall of the canopy at the Novi Sad railway station, two ministers resigned in late 2024. Following a 
violent  physical  attack  against  student  protesters,  the  Prime  Minister  resigned  on  28 January  2025. 

22 

 
 
Parliament  formally  took  note  of  the  resignation,  ending  the  mandate  of  the  entire  government  on 
19 March. A new government was appointed on 16 April. The political composition and the number 
of  ministerial  posts  have  not  changed.  Out  of  31  members,  nine  are  women.  Representatives  of 
national minorities continue to hold ministerial posts. 

The  autonomy  of  independent  bodies  needs  to  be  fully  exercised,  their  roles  acknowledged  and 
respected by the authorities, and their recommendations followed up more thoroughly and in a timely 
manner. 

As regards local self-government, the Law on Vojvodina’s financing resources has not been adopted 
yet,  contrary  to  constitutional  requirement.  Local  administrative  capacity  is  weak  and  significant 
disparities between municipalities persist. Local governments continue to bear responsibilities without 
a proper analysis of the capacity and human and financial resources required. The implementation of 
the programme to reform the local government system (2021-2025) continued to make slow progress 
(50%  at  the  level  of  measures  and  59%  at  the  level  of  activities  in  2024).  The  Commission  for 
Financing  Local  Self-Governments  did  not  convene  regular  meetings  and  has  not  met  since  April 
2022. 

Civil society 

CSOs  operate in  a  difficult  environment  and face  increasing  pressure and  attacks.  Complaints  were 
filed against the use  of  spyware targeting  human  rights defenders and journalists (see  also  personal 
data protection under Chapter 23). Cases of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) 
increasingly hindered the work of CSOs. One party from the ruling coalition proposed a draft law on 
agents of foreign influence, which was not discussed in the plenary in Parliament. Verbal attacks and 
smear campaigns against CSOs advocating for the rule of law have intensified since the start of the 
protests  (see  also  freedom  of  assembly  under  Chapter  23).  Several  foreign  civil  society 
representatives,  including  from  EU  Member  States,  were  detained  and  expelled  from  Serbia.  In 
February  2025,  the  police  searched  the  offices  of  four  CSOs  at  the  request  of  the  Special  Anti-
Corruption Department of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Belgrade. This is the second time 
that CSOs have been publicly accused of money laundering, after the ‘List’ case of July 2020 which 
has  not  yet  resulted  in  an  indictment,  and  the  searches  have  been  widely  perceived  as  an  act  of 
pressure on civil society. In this context, 29 CSOs announced in February 2025 their withdrawal from 
the government’s working groups. While implementation of the strategy and the new action plan for 
civil society has continued, its impact has yet to be demonstrated. CSOs froze their membership in the 
Council for cooperation and development of civil society in January 2025, due to the Council’s lack 
of  institutional  reaction  to  increasing  attacks  on  human  rights  defenders.  The  transparency  and 
fairness of public funding to civil society still needs to be improved. Key challenges include the lack 
of  transparent  criteria  for  approving  support  to  CSOs  and  for  selecting  independent  experts  in 
evaluation commissions, and in reporting on how the funds are spent. 

Civilian oversight of the security and intelligence sector 

The  parliamentary  Committee  for the  oversight  of  security services remains  responsible  for  civilian 
oversight of the security sector. In March 2025, the Committee discussed allegations of the use of a 
sonic  device  during  a  mass  protest  on  15 March  in  Belgrade  and  dismissed  such  claims. 
Representatives of the civilian security agency (BIA) alleged that an ‘attempt of a colour revolution’ 
was  taking  place  in  Serbia.  During mass  student  and  citizens’  protests,  there  were  reports that  BIA 
was  detaining  and  summoning  citizens,  students  and  activists  for  informative  talks.  In  December 
2024, the Committee held a regular annual review of the activities of the Military-Security Agency. A 
Law on access to state security files still needs to be adopted. 

2.1.2. Public administration reform  

Strategic framework for public administration reform (PAR) 

23 

 
 
A  comprehensive  PAR  strategy  (2021-2030)  is  being  implemented.  The  quality  of  the  strategy  is 
satisfactory, but the effectiveness of implementation needs to be improved. A new PAR action plan 
and programmes  for 2026-2030, under the PAR umbrella strategy, are under preparation. The 2024 
PAR  implementation  report  shows  slow  progress  overall  with  57%  of  measures  and  activities 
implemented in 2024. The PAR online monitoring tool still does not provide an up-to-date picture of 
implementation,  either  overall  or  by  policy  pillar. Monitoring reports  are  adopted  too late to timely 
provide  information  to  decision  makers  and  to  enable  the  adoption  of  potentially  necessary  policy 
changes.  PAR  coordination  mechanisms  at  political and  administrative levels are  formally in  place, 
but  their  use  in  practice  and  their  impact  are  limited  due  to  the  lack  of  clear  ownership  and  strong 
political commitment. Financial sustainability remains an issue of concern due to reliance on donor 
funding.  

Policy development and coordination 

Policy  development  and  coordination  are  regulated  but  not  systematically  enforced.  A  system  for 
sound policymaking is in place with a clear set of regulations embedded primarily in the Law on the 
planning  system.  In  March  2025,  Serbia  adopted  new  pieces  of  implementing  legislation  on  the 
methodology  for drafting public policy  documents and  on  the analysis  of  the effects  of regulations. 
Enforcement  of  the  regulatory  framework  remains  behind  the  legal  deadlines.  No  notable  progress 
was  made  to  ensure  that  the  Public  Policy  Secretariat’s  comments  on  draft  legislation  and  policy 
documents were incorporated and that the final versions of these documents were compliant with the 
legislation. There was no new streamlining of sector strategic frameworks, and only three out of 23 
sectors  have  been  optimised  so  far.  The  share  of  published  annual  reports  on  implementation  of 
sectoral planning documents is limited (around 30%, despite this being a legislative requirement). The 
national development plan, due for adoption in 2020, is still not in place. The adoption rate of mid-
term plans remains low (61% for the period 2025 - 2027) and seriously lags behind the 2020 deadline 
set for central level institutions.  

Public consultations were carried out in 2024 on 58% of draft laws and on 30% of draft regulations, 
which remains insufficient. There is still no central body in charge of oversight and quality control of 
public  consultations.  Use  of  the  e-consultations  platform,  although  mandatory,  remains  insufficient. 
Mandatory reports on conducted public consultations are published on the platform in less than 30% 
of cases (see civil society under 2.1.1 Democracy). 

Public financial management 

Public  financial  management  (PFM)  is  broadly  in  place  but  needs  to  be  improved.  The  2021-2025 
PFM reform programme is being implemented in line with its action plan, but has limited ambitions 
and  is  donor-dependent.  The  highest-level  development  planning  documents,  the  development  plan 
and  the  investment  plan,  were  due  in  2020,  with  the  delay  creating  ambiguities  in  setting  national 
strategic  priorities.  The  link  between  the  strategic  priorities  and  budget  programmes  remains  weak. 
Programme  budgeting is to  be further  developed to enable  proper  performance  management.  Green 
tagging  methodology  was  integrated  in  budget  planning  procedure  for  the  first  time  in  2024  and 
gender-responsive budgeting continues to be implemented.  

Macroeconomic  and  fiscal  forecasting  is  well  prepared  and  Serbia  has  made  some  progress  in 
presenting the fiscal risks in the fiscal strategy and in strengthening medium-term budgeting. Stronger 
binding fiscal rules have yet to be implemented. The optimal number of key spending units needs to 
be  specified  to  improve  spending  efficiency.  The  Ministry  of  Finance  does  not  currently  publish  a 
stand-alone and comprehensive fiscal risk statement. The contingency reserve is used without a clear 
definition of purpose and transparent and regular reporting, with ad hoc spending measures a recurrent 
budgetary feature. Serbia continues to award large-scale infrastructure contracts without transparency, 
often under international agreements or through special laws. The vulnerability of public procurement 
to corruption needs to be carefully monitored (see Chapter 5 – Public procurement). 

24 

 
 
Further  progress  is  needed  to  increase  the  coverage  and  quality  of  public  internal  financial  control. 
The managerial accountability roadmap was adopted in December 2024, but its implementation has 
been  delayed.  Analytical  units  in  all  ministries  and  government  agencies  need  to  be  set  up  without 
delay. The country has yet to develop a genuine  single pipeline for capital investment management. 
For the first time, the 2025 budget and fiscal strategy include a number of capital investment projects 
planned over a three-year horizon.  

Serbia has not made progress in improving budget transparency. It has not produced a transparency 
roadmap or mid-year report. The Ministry of Finance does not publish the budget execution profile at 
the beginning of the year, preventing an analysis of any divergence from set targets. Budget execution 
reports still only contain basic elements. Inconsistencies in the accounting and reporting framework 
need to be resolved. Public participation in the budget process and budget oversight by the legislature 
need to be significantly improved. The 2024 budget rebalance and the 2025 budget were adopted with 
no  qualitative  assessment  or  debate  with  stakeholders  and  the  2024  supplementary  budget  was 
adopted using the fast-track procedure. 

Public service and human resources management 

The  public  service  and  human  resources  management  (HRM)  regulatory  framework  is  satisfactory, 
but  its  effectiveness  is  undermined  by  the  lack  of  consistent  enforcement.  The  legal  framework  for 
HRM  is  solid.  The  horizontal  and  vertical  scope  of  the  civil  service  is  adequate,  except  for  several 
(regulatory) public agencies with a higher degree of autonomy that are excluded from the civil service 
system  with  no  justified  reason.  Serbia’s  legislation  provides  for  merit-based  recruitment  and 
dismissal  procedures  but  leaves  too  much  discretion  to  the  heads  of  institutions  in  setting  up 
selection committees. Around 10% of all civil servants are hired on a fixed-term basis and still do not 
need to pass a competition as the legal provision to that effect was postponed again to January 2026. 
A mandatory assessment of at least one functional competence for hiring fixed-term staff was brought 
in as of March 2025. Administrative bodies have limited autonomy to launch new recruitments based 
on their staffing plans, due to recruitment restrictions under the Law on the budget system. The new 
HRM  management  information  system  is  not  yet  operational.  The  capacity  of  HRM  units  remains 
weak and they lack a strategic role. The 2016 Law on the public sector salary system was annulled 
after  several  years  of  postponing  the  application  date,  delaying  further  the  salary  reform.  Serbia 
maintained effective gender balance in the administration, including in top managerial positions, with 
48% women and 52% men. 

Regarding senior civil servants, the lack of transparency in appointing candidates recommended by 
the  High  Civil  Service  Council  and  legal  compliance  remain  issues  of  serious  concern.  Most 
managerial posts (62% as of September 2025) are still occupied by acting appointments. Moreover, 
most  acting  managers  are  not  civil  servants,  despite  there  being  a  legal  provision  against  such 
appointments. It is crucial to secure clear political will and sufficient resources to run competitions for 
managerial  positions  and  to  monitor  the  phasing-out  of  the  high  number  of  acting  managers  to 
urgently reduce the excessive number of senior civil servants in acting positions. 

The  National  Academy  for  Public  Administration  continued  to  improve  the  scope  and  quality  of 
training  for  central  and  local-level  public  servants.  Almost  all  (99.8%)  institutions  that  have  the 
obligation  to  adopt  integrity  plans  have  done  so.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  fully implement  the 
current integrity plans for the judiciary and public administration, including at local level. 

Accountability of the administration 

The  accountability  of  the  administration  still  needs  to  be  improved.  Serbia  made  no  progress  in 
addressing  the  administration’s  systemic  organisational  problems,  such  as  overlapping  roles  and 
unclear  reporting  lines.  In  December  2024,  it  adopted  the  long  overdue  managerial  accountability 
roadmap,  setting  out  the  key  steps  in  applying  this  concept.  According to  the  Ombudsman’s  2024 
report, nearly 61% of complaints were related to violations of economic, property and social rights, 
with  the  highest  number  in  the  sector  of  local  government,  property  and  the  right  to  health.  On 

25 

 
 
citizens’ right to access public information, the Commissioner for Information of Public Importance 
and  Personal  Data  Protection  resolved  15 282  complaints  in  2024  (up  from  10 594  in  2023),  50% 
(2023: 37%) of which were related to requests by people seeking information being ignored. This is a 
sharp  increase,  due  to  legal  professionals’  potential  abuse  of  legal  remedies.  The  execution  rate  of 
Commissioner decisions was 77.98% (2023: 74.83%). On citizens’ right to administrative justice, 
no progress was made on structural reforms of the system, except for a slight increase in the number 
of  judges.  The  establishment  of  a  multi-layer  administrative  justice  has  been  delayed.  In  the 
meantime,  Serbia  could  consider  options  for  expanding  the  scope  to  contest  decisions  by  the 
Administrative Court in the highest court – including by the public authorities – in order to establish 
in  practice  a  more  effective  two-instance  administrative  judicial  system.  Citizens’  rights  to  seek 
compensation is regulated, but there is a lack of statistical data to monitor implementation.  

Service delivery to citizens and businesses 

Service  delivery  to  citizens  and  businesses,  in  particular  e-services,  is  continuously  improving. 
Further  developments  are  hampered  by  the  fragmentation  of  responsibilities  and  mandates  among 
institutions and the lack of a dedicated coordination system. Progress on the key enablers, such as a 
cloud-based  e-signature  system,  user-friendly  payment  services  and  digital  identity  systems, 
contributed to improved e-services. The interoperability framework is also in place. There are more 
databases  connected  to  the  improved  government  service  bus  (an  information  system  linking  major 
databases).  The  number  of  municipal  one-stop  shops  also  increased  but  there  are  still  no  quality 
standards  for  service  provision.  There  has  been  some  progress  in  increasing  user  engagement  and 
developing mechanisms for collecting feedback. The legal framework for simplifying administrative 
procedures  is  in  place,  although  aligning  sector-based  legislation  with  the  Law  on  general 
administrative  procedures  is  still  ongoing.  Work  continued  to  simplify  and  digitalise  administrative 
procedures  by  implementing  the  e-paper  programme.  Serbia  continued  to  improve  the  portal  of  the 
register of administrative procedures, which now includes approximately 3 300 procedures. 

2.2. RULE OF LAW AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS 

2.2.1  Chapter 23: Judiciary and fundamental rights 

The  EU’s  founding  values  include  the  rule  of  law  and  respect  for  human  rights.  An  effective 
(independent, high-quality and efficient) judicial system and an effective fight against corruption are 
of paramount importance, as is respect of fundamental rights in law and in practice. 

Functioning of the judiciary 

Strategic documents 

Strategic  documents  are  in  place,  but  implementation  needs  to  be  improved.  The  main  strategic 
documents  are  the  revised  action  plan  for  Chapter  23  and  the  2020-2025  judicial  development 
strategy.  Implementation  of  the  human  resources  (HR)  and  information  and  communications 
technology  (ICT)  strategies  remains  weak,  in  part  due  to  a  lack  of  coordination  and  adequate 
monitoring mechanisms. 

Management bodies 

The management bodies are in place and function in line with the adopted legislation. There is a need 
to  improve  the  analytical  and  statistical  capacity  of  the  High  Judicial  Council  (HJC)  and  the  High 
Prosecutorial Council (HPC) in line with the HR strategy. 

Independence and impartiality 

The  independence  and  impartiality  of  the  judiciary  needs  to  be  improved,  both  in  the  higher-level 
courts and in the courts of first instance. 

26 

 
 
 
Following the adoption of the implementing legislation to the constitutional amendments, Serbia has 
adopted  36  by-laws  out  of  37.  In  January  2025,  it  adopted  the  Rulebook  on  administration  of  the 
prosecution office, which is a shared competence between the Ministry of Justice and the HPC. One, 
on the Rules of Court, remains to be adopted. 

Political pressure on the judiciary and the prosecution services remains high, with little or no follow-
up  by  relevant  institutions.  Government  and  public  officials  at  the  highest  level,  including  the 
President  and  members  of  Parliament,  continued  to  make  undue  public  comments  on  ongoing 
investigations  and  court  proceedings,  including  on  the  work  of  individual  prosecutors  and  judges. 
These  comments  included  criticism  of  judicial  decisions  and  threats  to  remove  judges  and 
prosecutors. Other comments made by officials containing information not in the public domain raise 
concerns about leakage of information by institutions involved in criminal proceedings. In the context 
of  the  protests,  there  were instances  of  attacks  on court  and  prosecution  offices, as  well  as protests 
held in front of court buildings. There was also an instance of a physical attack on a judge. Although 
the rules of procedure of the HJC 
and HPC lay the foundation for a 
more effective reaction in cases of 
undue  influence,  both  Councils 
remained  largely  passive.  Neither 
Parliament  nor  the  government 
have  so  far  acted  in  cases  of 
influence.  The  Serbian 
undue 
institutions 
to 
demonstrate a more active role. 

have 

yet 

The launch of major initiatives by 
the  prosecution,  such  as  the  new 
anti-corruption  campaign  and  the 
search  of  four  NGO  offices  in 
February  2025,  which  followed  statements  by  high-level  public  officials,  raises  concerns  about 
prosecutorial autonomy. In July the President pardoned five people charged with physically harming 
protesters, citing the need to correct injustices caused by prosecutors and courts, which raises further 
concerns about the independence of the justice system. 

Cases are allocated electronically and at random to judges via specialised software. Software enabling 
the  automatic  allocation  of  cases  to  prosecutors  has  yet  to  be  developed.  The  system  of  recruiting, 
transferring and promoting judges and prosecutors should be further revised to ensure that careers are 

fully based on merit. 

Accountability 

The  accountability  of  the  judiciary  needs  to  be 
improved.  In  particular,  there  is  need  for  greater 
accountability  and  transparency  in  the  prosecution 
service and courts. 

In  2024,  125  disciplinary  complaints  were  filed  to 
the  HPC,  and  one  disciplinary  measure  was  issued 
in  January  2025. 
In  2024,  386  disciplinary 
complaints  were  filed  to  the  HJC  at  first  instance 
and 10 proposals were forwarded to the disciplinary 
commission  at  second  instance.  The  HJC  rejected 
two proposals and issued two sanctions. 

27 

 
 
The  term  of  office  of  the  Ethics  Committee  appointed  by  the  HJC  ended  in  October  2024.  In 
accordance with the Law on the High Judicial Council, a new committee was appointed, and it held its 
constitutive session on 23 January 2025. 

In May 2025, the HJC began recording and publishing its sessions, thus increasing its transparency 
and matching the practice of the HPC. 

Quality of justice 

The  quality  of  justice  needs  to  be 
improved. 

The  Law  on  Judicial  Academy  has 
not  yet  been  adopted  and  still  needs 
to  be  brought  in 
line  with  the 
recommendations  of  the  December 
2024  Venice  Commission  opinion. 
the  Venice 
its 
In 
Commission 
that 
entrusting  the  Academy  with  the 
exclusive  responsibility  for  entry 
into  the  judicial  and  prosecutorial 
several 
professions 
advantages,  including  ensuring  that  candidates  are  adequately  trained  and  prepared  via  a  uniform 
examination process and eliminating parallel recruitment processes. The Venice Commission further 
recommended  removing  the  ex-officio  membership  of  the  Minister  of  Justice  in  the  Academy’s 
management board to greater protect the Academy from any possible undue influence. 

underlined 

presents 

opinion 

From January 2024 to April 2025, the Judicial Academy conducted around 230 educational events. It 

should increase its institutional capacity and expertise to deliver an improved programme with clearly 
defined  objectives.  The  Academy  should  also  make  further  use  of  the  expertise  of  the  European 
Judicial Training Network, including on training on EU law. 

On case law harmonisation, Serbia further expanded the database of court jurisprudence. At the end of 
2024, it contained 471 420 integral decisions and 66 196 anonymised court decisions. There is a need 
for the  Supreme  Court to more  effectively  steer jurisprudence  by  providing  systematic guidance  on 
contentious legal issues, particularly on repetitive cases. 

Serbia still lacks a comprehensive court case (and document) management system that interlinks cases 
across  Serbian  courts  and  prosecutors’  offices.  Development  of  the  IT  solution  for  the  new  case 
management  system  for  prosecution  offices  (SAPO)  was  finalised  and  implementation  of  the  new 
system across all prosecutor’s offices is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Work on the 
case management  system for  courts  remains stalled. Further  work  is  still  required  to  ensure  that all 
systems  can  operate  smoothly  including  legislative  changes,  along  with  adequate  staffing,  financial 

28 

 
 
resources  and  upgraded  communication  infrastructure.  The  judicial  system  suffers  from  insufficient 
human and financial resources and a lack of premises. More efforts are needed to digitalise the justice 
system, in  particular  for communication  with the  courts and  the  use  of  videoconferencing for  court 
hearings. 

As  of  January  2025,  there  were  229  notaries  active  in  Serbia.  In  addition  to  the  existing  system  to 
exchange  information  and  document  authentication,  in  December  2024  the  Notary  Chamber  took 
steps to develop a common information system for automatic exchange of data with the state geodetic 
authority. The Law on notaries and accompanying laws still need to be amended. 

In 2024, the HJC appointed 241 judges. At the end of 2024, of the 3 102 judicial positions, 383 were 
vacant and 2 719 judges’ positions were filled (up from 2 636 at the end of 2023). In July 2025, 42 
judges were elected following a public competition launched in January. 

In  2024,  the  HPC  organised  11  competitions  to  fill  269  public  prosecutor  positions.  At  the  end  of 
2024, of the 894 positions for prosecutors, 237 were vacant and 657 prosecutors were in active work 
(678 at the end of 2023). In September 2024, the Constitutional Court annulled for the first time an 
appointment procedure for prosecutors for the Belgrade Higher Prosecution Office on the finding that 
the HPC had breached the rules on 
testing candidates. 

The Constitutional Court continued 
to work in partial composition, with 
only  11  of  the  15  judges  needed. 
the 
The  HJC, 
President as authorised proponents, 
have 
their 
still 
nominations 
the  appointment 
bodies  for  the  four  positions  that 
have been vacant since April 2024. 
Seven  of  the  11  judges  are  due  to 
retire  at  the  end  of the  year,  which 
is  a  concern  as  this  would  lead  to 
the Constitutional Court losing its  quorum. No steps were taken to reform the  Constitutional Court, 
specifically to introduce qualified majority with a deadlock mechanism for the election of some of the 
judges by Parliament, as underlined by the Venice Commission. 

not  made 
to 

the  HPC  and 

Efficiency 

The efficiency of justice needs to be 
improved. 

the 

to  negatively 

Problems  of  unequal  workload 
among  judges  and  prosecutors  have 
affect 
continued 
performance and access to justice. In 
courts  worked  on  
2024, 
2 796 635 
solved 
cases 
1 754 383  cases.  There  was  an 
increase  in  solved  cases,  including 
old  cases,  reducing  the  number  of 
pending  cases  at  the  end  of  2024 
(1 042 252 from 1 095 599 in 2023). 
While  Serbia  continued  to  perform 
well  in  first  instance  civil  and  commercial  cases  (with  a  clearance  rate  of  119%  and  a  shorter 

and 

29 

 
 
disposition  time  of  274  days),  administrative  justice  remains  a  critical  bottleneck.  In  particular,  the 
situation  at  the  Administrative  Court  remains  a  concern.  Despite  the  reduction  in  incoming  cases  - 
linked  to  fewer  ‘silence  of  the  administration’  cases  -  the  clearance  rate  remains  low  at  76% 
(compared  to  35%  in  2023)  and  the  disposition  time  stands  at  1 933  days  (compared  to  2  095  in 
2023). Consequently, the number of pending administrative cases at the end of 2024 exceeded that of 
2023  (163 133  in  2024,  compared  to  153 214  in  2023).  Serbia  continued  to  implement  the  unified 
backlog reduction programme for 2021-2025, but without significant reductions. 

The Constitutional Court still had a high backlog of pending cases (43 666 as of July 2025, up from 
29 672 in 2023). In 2024, the Constitutional Court received 18 211 new cases, of which 17 972 were 
constitutional appeals, and solved  16 435 cases. The information system of the Constitutional Court 
has been operational since February 2025, but action is needed to simplify access to judgments. 

Domestic  processing  of  war  crime 
cases 

to 

investigating 

Serbia  has  yet  to  show  a  genuine 
commitment 
and 
adjudicating  war  crime  cases.  In  2024, 
the  War  Crimes  Prosecutor’s  Office 
indictments  against  10 
filed  eight 
individuals, 
case 
including 
involving  two  individuals  that  was 
transferred 
and 
Herzegovina.  One  indictment  has  not 
yet  been 
final 
decisions and one first instance verdict 
were rendered against three accused. At 

confirmed.  Two 

Bosnia 

from 

one 

the end of 2024, trial proceedings were ongoing in 17 cases. 

to 

Serbia continued to avoid filing indictments against high-level suspects and the time taken to process 
cases was excessively long. Serbia has yet to take steps to increase the pace of processing war crime 
cases  or 
the  significant 
tackle 
backlog of over 1 800 pre-investigative 
cases,  which  remain  a  very  serious 
concern.  Contrary  to  the  intention  set 
out 
revised  war  crimes 
prosecutorial  strategy  of  2022,  Serbia 
has yet to finalise a case categorisation 
plan. 

the 

in 

In  2024,  the  HPC  announced  a  public 
competition  for  the  election  of  the 
Chief  Public  Prosecutor 
for  War 
Crimes  and  two  candidates  applied. 
The selection procedure is ongoing but 
severely  delayed.  An  acting  Chief 
Public  Prosecutor  was  appointed  until 
his mandate ended on 15 May 2025, leaving the position vacant. 

Cooperation  has  continued  with  the  International  Residual  Mechanism  for  Criminal  Tribunals 
Prosecution  Office  and  the  War  Crimes  Prosecutor’s  Office.  Cooperation  with  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina also continued, but little progress was made with Croatia and Kosovo. Serbia has yet to 
enforce the judgments of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the cases of Novak Djukić, Duško Kornjača and 
Tomislav Kovač, who reside in Serbia. Such individuals are able to evade justice by taking advantage 
of prohibitions against extradition of nationals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. 

30 

 
 
They  also  benefit  from  neighbouring  jurisdictions’  lack  of  progress  in  addressing  the  crimes  in 
question. 

A number of Serbian political parties, politicians and media outlets continued to provide support to, 
and  public  space  for,  convicted  war  criminals  and  to  deny  war  crimes,  including  the  Srebrenica 
genocide, without repercussions.  

The sentencing policy in war crime cases has been inconsistent and not systematically aligned with 
the criminal sanctions applicable to the gravity of the crimes. Serbia’s judiciary has failed to include 
financial compensation to the victims of war crimes in any criminal proceedings. This approach is yet 
to be remedied. 

The unresolved fate of missing persons who disappeared during the conflicts in the 1990s remains a 
key issue to be solved in the Western Balkans. Despite steady progress in identification, 9 624 persons 
are still missing as a result of the conflict. Further efforts are needed at bilateral level and at regional 
level through the missing persons group, established in 2018 under the Berlin Process to strengthen 
cooperation.  The  UN Committee  on  Enforced  Disappearances  issued  its  findings  on  Serbia, 
recommending expanding the victim definition to ensure inclusivity and to cover full reparation for all 
affected individuals. 

Fight against corruption 

Track record 

The  fight  against  corruption  track 
record should be improved  for  both 
high-level and non-high-level cases. 

challenges 

number  of 

Significant 
persist, 
particularly in addressing high-level 
final 
cases.  The 
convictions  in  high-level  corruption 
cases  in  2024  decreased  compared 
to previous years (28 down from 31 
in  2023).  The  Prosecutor’s  Office 
ordered 
for  Organised  Crime 
investigations 
fewer 
against 
individuals (18 in 2024 compared to 
50  in  2023)  and  fewer  indictments 
were issued (45 in 2024 down from 74 in 2023). Weaknesses in the investigation and prosecution of 
high-level  corruption  cases  have  not 
been adequately addressed, in particular 
regarding  the  quality  of  evidentiary 
collection  and  presentation  and  the  risk 
of politically motivated interference. 

to 

Following  the  canopy  collapse  at  Novi 
Sad railway station, authorities launched 
investigations  into  alleged  corruption 
linked  to  the  tragic  incident,  which  are 
yet 
completed.  Criminal 
proceedings  were  initiated  against  15 
persons, including two former ministers, 
as a result of the work of the task force 
for  the  investigation  of  financial  flows 
related  to  the  project  ‘Modernisation 

be 

31 

 
 
and  reconstruction  of  the  Hungarian-Serbian  railway  line  on  the  route  Novi  Sad-Subotica-State 
Border (Kelebija)’. The tragic incident prompted widespread public protests over corruption and the 
perceived  political  capture  of  state  institutions,  the  lack  of  accountability  and  transparency  in 
government infrastructure and construction projects. 

Regarding non-high-level corruption, special departments for combating corruption in the offices of 
higher prosecutors and the prosecution offices of general jurisdiction launched more investigations in 
2024 than in the previous year (607 up from 515), but the number of indictments and final convictions 
fell (313 down from 367, and 259 down from 326 respectively).  This downward trend raises concerns 
about the capacity to address mid and lower-level corruption effectively. 

Serbia  is  expected  to  submit  its  compliance  report  to  GRECO  in  December  2025  to  address  the 
recommendations  of  the  fifth  evaluation  round.  GRECO  previously  assessed  that  of  the  24 
recommendations,  one  recommendation  has  been  fully  met,  and  10  have  been  partially  met.  Serbia 
should fully implement all recommendations, including those only partially completed from the fourth 
round. 

The perception among the public, experts and businesses is that the level of corruption in the public 
sector is high. This perception has remained relatively unchanged in recent years. 

Legal framework 

The legal framework on the fight against corruption is in place but it needs to be improved in terms of 
both  preventive  measures  and  law  enforcement.  While  the  Law  on  prevention  of  corruption  is 
generally  well-designed,  there  are  shortcomings.  In  particular,  the  scope,  which  among  other 
prescribes  the  duty  to  file  asset  declarations  and  report  conflicts  of  interest,  does  not  extend  to  all 
high-ranking  public  officials  who  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  corruption.  Legal  amendments  to  
address GRECO’s fifth-round recommendations and OSCE/ODIHR guidelines on electoral campaign 
financing have yet to be adopted. Legislation on access to information and lobbying requires further 
amending to implement the recommendations issued by OSCE/ODIHR, OECD SIGMA (Support for 
Improvement in Governance and Management), and GRECO. 

Amendments  to  the  Law  on  financing  of  political  activities  have  yet  to  be  adopted  to  address 
outstanding  ODIHR  recommendations  including  the  effectiveness  of  the  oversight  mechanism.  The 
Agency  for  the  Prevention  of  Corruption’s  initiative  to  amend  the  law  is  still  pending  with  the 
Ministry of Finance. The legal framework on whistle-blower protection has yet to be aligned with the 
EU acquis. 

Exemptions  from  the  Law  on  public  procurement,  particularly  in  the  context  of  intergovernmental 
agreements and special laws, continue to be widely used to circumvent the practical application of the 
law. Wide use of exemptions undermines the effectiveness of the law and should be phased out. This 
poses risks of corruption and non-compliance with European standards. It is important that all entities, 
and in particular those with significant public expenditure, comply with the State Audit Institution’s 
recommendations.  The  authorities  should  encourage 
the  proactive  disclosure  of  contracts, 
procurement processes and oversight reports, and step up the protection of whistle-blowers to build 
public  trust.  Serbia  should  further  reinforce  the  SAI’s  staffing,  financial  and  technical  capacities  to 
oversee public spending. 

In terms of repression, the Law on the organisation and jurisdiction of state authorities in suppression 
of organised crime, terrorism and corruption does not give sufficient competences to the Prosecutor’s 
Office  for  Organised  Crime  (POOC),  which  has  jurisdiction  over  high-level  corruption  cases,  to 
coordinate the corruption cases of the special departments of the Higher Public Prosecutors’ offices. 
In  particular,  the  special  departments  are  not  obligated  to  inform  the  POOC  about  the  launch  of 
investigations,  creating  the  risk  of  opening  parallel  proceedings.  Serbia  should  take  further  steps  to 
ensure effective coordination. 

32 

 
 
Strategic documents 

A national anti-corruption strategy for 2024-2028 is in place. In December 2024, an action plan for 
2024-2025  was  adopted  but  it  does  not  comprehensively  address  the  GRECO  recommendations 
issued  in  the  fourth  and  fifth  evaluation  rounds.  The  pace  and  level  of  implementation  should  be 
increased,  and  an  effective  monitoring,  evaluation  and  coordination  mechanism  should  be  put  in 
place. 

The Agency for the Prevention of Corruption is tasked with monitoring implementation, but sufficient 
coordination mechanisms, budgetary resources and an effective monitoring and evaluation system to 
track progress and impact is needed for its effective implementation. 

Serbia  should  finalise  and  adopt  the  action  plan  for  the  period  2026-2028,  ensuring  it 
comprehensively  addresses  the  challenges  identified  in  the  strategy,  as  well  as  the  outstanding 
GRECO recommendations. 

Institutional framework 

The  institutional  framework  governing  the  fight  against  corruption  is  largely  in  place  but  needs 
improvement in terms of preventive measures and law enforcement. 

In  February  2025,  the  special  departments  for  combating  corruption  of  the  Higher  Prosecutor’s 
Offices in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kraljevo and Nis launched initiatives that led to a series of corruption-
related arrests of public officials, including in long-standing cases. The fact that these initiatives were 
launched  following  the  President’s  announcement  of  a  major  anti-corruption  campaign  raises 
concerns about prosecutorial autonomy. 

The Agency for Prevention of Corruption started 202 procedures to determine violations of the Law 
on  prevention  of  corruption  with  regard  to  conflicts  of  interest  (264  in  2023,  483  in  2022)  and 
submitted  131  requests  to  start  misdemeanour  proceedings  on  the  failure  to  promptly  submit  asset 
declarations (143 in 2023, 201 in 2022). Overall, these activities to prevent corruption have yielded 
limited  results.  The  Agency  needs  more  human  and  technical  resources  to  be  able  to  work  in  a 
comprehensive manner. In addition, steps should be taken to increase the independence, impartiality 
and accountability of the Agency. 

The fact that the authorities have still not established a more constructive relationship with the Anti-
Corruption Council, nor addressed the findings of their reports, remains a serious concern. In addition, 
the  Council  is  still  not  systematically  consulted  on  draft  legislation.  No  steps  have  been  taken  to 
further increase the Anti-Corruption Council’s budgetary resources or staffing. 

The  Prosecutor’s  Office  for  Organised  Crime  remains  understaffed  and  lacks  adequate  premises  to 
accommodate new staff, while the specialised organised crime unit within the police lacks sufficient 
personnel to investigate high-level corruption effectively. 

The special departments in the higher prosecution offices should each have a financial forensic expert. 
Two experts were hired on a contractual basis in the Higher Public Prosecution Offices in Belgrade 
and Novi Sad, but the positions have not been filled on a permanent basis. 

Fundamental rights 

While Serbia’s legislative and institutional framework for upholding fundamental rights is broadly in 
place, implementation of the framework needs to be improved as a matter of priority. 

International human rights instruments 

Cooperation  with  international  human  rights  monitoring  bodies  and  the  follow-up  to  their 
recommendations  need  to  be  improved. Serbia  has  ratified  the  main  international  human  rights 
instruments and continued to benefit from its observer status at the Fundamental Rights Agency. 

33 

 
 
European Court of Human Rights 

of 

the 

Cooperation  with 
the  European 
Court  of  Human  Rights  and 
implementation  of  its  judgments 
need  to  be  improved.  During  the 
reporting  period,  the  Court  found 
breaches 
European 
Convention  on  Human  Rights 
relating mainly to the right to a fair 
trial, respect for private and family 
life,  prohibition  of 
torture  and 
protection  of  property.  Currently, 
there  are  12  cases  under  enhanced 
supervision  by  the  Committee  of 
Ministers of the Council of Europe 
(23  cases  last  year).  These  cases 

failure 

mainly 

ill 
concern 
to 
treatment/torture, 
comply with interim measures of 
the  Court,  excessive  length  of 
unfair 
judicial 
proceedings, 
and 
criminal 
peaceful 
of 
possession.  No  actions  were 
taken to further regulate the role 
of  Serbia’s  government  agent 
before  the  European  Court  of 
Human  Rights, 
avoid 
repetition  of  a  previous  case 
when Serbia did not comply with an interim measure of the Court. The government agent needs to be 
given a coordination role and the authority to fulfil it. Serbia has yet to adopt amendments to the Law 
on the National DNA Registry to implement the mechanism providing individual redress to parents in 
cases similar to that of Zorica Jovanović v Serbia. The transfer of the Kačapor v Serbia group of cases 
from ordinary courts to the Constitutional Court has contributed to the execution of this judgment, but 
further action is needed to sustain progress. 

proceedings 
enjoyment 

to 

Promotion and enforcement of human rights 

The institutional framework for the promotion, protection and enforcement of human rights needs to 
be improved. There has been little, or delayed, public reaction by the Ombudsperson to human rights 
violations  in  the  context  of  the  student  and  citizen  protests  (see  also  Freedom  of  assembly).  CSOs 
submitted an initiative to Parliament calling for the dismissal of the Ombudsperson, in particular due 
to his actions in the  area of women’s rights. The Ombudsperson’s Office is still operating with fewer 
staff (65 as of August 2025) than the staffing figure set in the action plan for Chapter 23 (106). Staff 
turnover  continues  to  hamper  efficiency.  In  June  2025,  after  several  years  of  delay,  Parliament 
adopted conclusions on the Ombudsperson’s reports for 2022, 2023 and 2024. 

Prevention of torture and ill treatment 

34 

 
 
followed  up  with 

The follow-up to cases of ill treatment needs to be improved. In the context of the student and citizen 
protests, there were reports of excessive use of force by the police. The Ombudsperson, in capacity as 
National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM), partnered with additional CSOs. Cooperation 
with  civil  society  requires  further  improvement  in  terms  of  incorporating  their  proposals  when 
preparing  visit  reports  and  developing 
recommendations.  An  agreement  on 
cooperation between the Ministry of the 
Interior and the Ministry of Health was 
signed in October 2024, with the aim of 
preventing ill treatment and torture; this 
must  be 
the 
confidential  examination  of  people  in 
police custody and the proper recording 
of injuries. Several recommendations of 
the  European  Committee 
the 
Prevention  of  Torture  and  Inhuman  or 
Degrading  Treatment  or  Punishments 
(CPT) have yet to be addressed, especially on eradicating police ill treatment and ensuring effective 
investigations of such cases, to prevent the impunity of perpetrators. Action is still needed to achieve 
accurate recordings of police interviews with audio and video equipment and to protect the rights of 
individuals  in  remand  detention  and  their  right  of  access  to  a  lawyer  without  undue  delay.  The 
Council  of  Europe’s  Committee  of  Ministers  continued  to  supervise  the  execution  of  judgments  in 
cases  of  investigations  of  ill  treatment  under  the  enhanced  procedure.  In  November  and  December 
2024,  the  CPT  paid two  ad  hoc  visits  to  Serbia,  focusing  on  treatment  and  safeguards  for  children, 
adolescents and adult patients deprived of their liberty in psychiatric facilities. In its visit to Serbia in 
June 2025, the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture expressed concerns over persons with 
disabilities in institutions and over children in extended periods of pre-trial detention under restrictive 
conditions. Serbia has still not revised the Criminal Code amendments of 2019, which brought in life 
imprisonment  without  the  possibility  of  conditional  release  for  a  number  of  crimes,  contrary  to  the 
European Convention on Human Rights and the case law. 

for 

Execution of criminal sanctions 

to 

continued 

The system for the execution of 
(including 
criminal  sanctions 
probation) 
be 
needs 
improved. Renovation 
programmes 
in 
several  facilities,  including  in 
the  Special  Prison  Hospital  in 
Belgrade. The number of health 
the 
staff 
procurement  of  medicine  and 
medical 
was 
centralised. 

equipment 

increased, 

and 

35 

 
 
to 

rise 

under 

prescribed 

 A new treatment programme for people convicted of sexual offences was piloted and treatment staff 
trained.  Individual  and  group  work 
juvenile 
was 
specialised 
perpetrators 
in  non-
programmes.  The 
custodial 
continued, 
sanctions 
mainly  in  the  form  of  house  arrest 
low  use  of  community 
and  a 
employing 
penalties. 
15 additional  commissioners, 
the 
probation,  social  and  employment 
sufficient 
services 
resources. 

Despite 

lacked 

still 

Protection of personal data 

The legal framework for the protection of personal data (PDP) needs to be further aligned with the EU 
acquis and the capacities of the PDP authority need to be improved. The PDP law is mostly aligned 
with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Law Enforcement Directive (LED). 
However,  the  law  is  insufficient  with  regards 
e.g. to penalties and it is difficult to implement 
in  practice  as  it  includes  provisions  from  both 
the  GDPR  and  the  LED.  The  process  of 
harmonising all other laws with the PDP law is 
significantly  delayed.  As  of  June  2025,  the 
Office of the  Commissioner for  Information of 
Public Importance and Personal Data Protection 
had 121 employees, moving closer to the target 
of 129 set in the action plan for Chapter 23. The 
Commissioner opened a third regional office. In 
March  2025,  Serbia  adopted,  with  delay,  the 
action  plan  on  the  PDP  strategy,  which  plans 
amendments to the PDP law by mid-2026. The new strategy for development of artificial intelligence 
was  adopted  in  January  2025  without  an  analysis  of  the  previous  strategy,  as  legally  required. 
Following  the  Commissioner’s  previous  negative  opinions  on  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior’s  impact 
assessment on street video surveillance, a legal basis has not yet been developed. The proportionality 
and  necessity  of  the  proposed  system  of  video  surveillance  in  public  spaces  needs  to  be  assessed. 
Complaints  were  filed  against  the  use  of  spyware  and  mobile  phone  forensic  products  targeting 
human rights defenders and journalists. Spyware attacks or attempts of their use were found on phone 
devices of people who had spent time in detention or police interviews, and an increasing number of 
cases were reported by those arrested during the protests. A case concerning at least seven people is at 
the  pre-investigation  stage,  with  no  indication  of  progress  so  far.  The  Ombudsperson  and  the 
Commissioner for Personal Data Protection announced the opening of cases on these attacks but have 
not  yet  reported  on  the  outcome.  Such  surveillance  produces  a  chilling  effect  and  may lead to  self-
censorship. The disclosure to tabloids of the personal data of participants in the student protests and 
on social networks has remained unpunished. The personal data of judges, including those who ruled 
in favour of repeating some local elections, were also disclosed in tabloid press campaigns, without 
eliciting an appropriate reaction. 

Freedom of religion or belief 

Serbia  provides  adequate  legal  guarantees  on  the  freedom  of  religion  or  belief.  However,  the 
registration process for religious communities remained non-transparent and inconsistent. The Law on 

36 

 
 
churches and religious communities is not yet aligned with European standards. Serbia continued to 
implement the Law on the restitution of heirless Jewish property. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------- 

Freedom of expression 

The environment for media and its free, independent and professional operation is constrained. 

Intimidation of journalists 

Cases  of  threats,  intimidation,  hate  speech  and  violence  against  journalists  increased  and  are  not 
consistently  condemned  by  the  authorities.  Female  journalists  and  local  journalists  are  particularly 
vulnerable to such attacks. Recurrent statements by high-level officials on the work of journalists and 
media  workers  have  a  chilling  effect  on  the  freedom  of  expression.  Several  foreign  journalists, 
including from EU Member States, were denied entry to Serbia before the protests. The personal data 
of journalists was disclosed, including by some media. The number of attacks and cases of pressure 
increased in the course of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, including physical 
attacks,  some  of  which  were  in  the  presence  of  police  that  did  not  respond.  Cases  have  also  been 
reported of the use of police force against journalists, of preventing media workers from reporting on 
the protests and of journalists being briefly detained. Cases brought by the prosecution services during 
the  reporting  period  resulted  in  only  one  conviction  and  one  deferred  criminal  prosecution.  No 
progress was made in the prosecution of the three murders of journalists, one of which reached the 
statute  of  limitation.  Cases  of  strategic  lawsuits  against  public  participation  (SLAPPs)  increasingly 
hindered the work of investigative media. Serbia needs to align with the Anti-SLAPP Directive and 
Recommendation,  including  by  covering  the  early  dismissal  of  manifestly  unfounded  claims  and 
remedies against abusive court proceedings. 

Legislative environment 

Serbia amended the media legislation in June 2025 to align further with the EU acquis and European 
standards.  There  were  very  short  consultations  of  media  associations  at  the  end  of  the  process  but, 
overall,  the  drafting  process  lacked  transparent  and  inclusive  consultations  and  did  not  respect  the 
legal  obligation  to  hold  a  public  debate,  except  for  the  Law  on  public  broadcasters.  Following  the 
amendments of 2023 that allowed state-owned companies to be media owners, additional safeguards 
to protect media pluralism and editorial independence were brought in; they will need to be monitored 
in practice. Meanwhile, TV channels seen as critical of the authorities were removed in April 2025 
from  a  TV  platform  following  the  purchase  of  this  platform  by  Telekom  Srbija,  whose  majority 
stakeholder  is  the  state.  Serbia  has  not  adopted  a  new  action  plan  on  the  media  strategy  since  the 
previous  plan  expired  at  the  end  of  2022.  Parliament  did  not  elect  a  new  Council  of  the  media 
regulator, REM, by the legal deadline of 4 November 2024 and, as a result, Serbia has been without 
the  decision-making  body  of  the  media  regulator  since  then.  The  relevant  parliamentary  committee 
published the call for nominations only on 25 November 2024. Seven out of 18 candidates withdrew 
their applications citing irregularities that the committee did not address, and the call was annulled. 
Several candidates and proposers also initially withdrew at the start of the second call. However, with 
international facilitation, the process resumed and advanced with the shortlisting of candidates.  

Implementation of legislation/institutions 

The media laws of 2023 have been inconsistently implemented. The REM failed to fully exercise its 
mandate  and  serious  concerns  regarding  its  independence  in  practice  persisted.  In  2024,  the  REM 
issued only five measures and did not sufficiently impose penalties for frequent violations of the rules, 
such as media with national frequencies broadcasting content targeting journalists and civil society or 
reality shows that are prone to violence. In November 2024, the parliamentary committee for culture 
and information gave consent to the new statute of the REM Council which contains new provisions 

37 

 
 
on the secrecy of certain documents adopted by the Council, thus hindering transparency. The REM 
published  the  full  report  on  election  media  monitoring  only  14  months  after  the  December  2023 
elections. The competition for the allocation of the fifth frequency for national broadcasting, launched 
in  2022,  has  still  not  been  finalised  without  justified  reason  for  the  delay.  Serbia  did  not  take  any 
action to  counter  foreign information  manipulation  and  interference.  By  contrast,  the  REM  Council 
awarded  RT  (Russian  TV)  with  a  licence  enabling  it  to  launch  its  programme  in  Serbian  on  the 
majority state-owned Telekom cable operator. 41% of journalist complaints to the Commissioner for 
Information  of  Public  Importance  concerned  the  ‘institutional  silence’  of  public  bodies.  Access  to 
sensitive information was denied regarding cases of environmental damage, capital projects, the use 
of public resources or co-financing of media projects. 

Public service broadcaster 

Serbia  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on  Public  Broadcasting  Services  in  June  2025  to  make  the 
public broadcasters more institutionally and functionally independent. It  remains to be seen whether 
the current public broadcasting service fee is sufficient to cover the needs of the public broadcasters 
or  whether  they  still  need  to  rely  on  additional  state  funding,  which  would  prevent  full  financial 
independence. Concerns over issues of editorial autonomy, limited pluralism and biased reporting in 
favour of the government increased. In 2024, 94% of airtime in central RTS news broadcasts covered 
the ruling majority, against 6% of airtime for opposition parties. In March and April 2025, students 
and citizens blocked the main buildings of RTS and RTV, demanding more objective reporting on the 
protests.  The  two-week  blockade  of  RTS  eventually  led  to  the  relaunch  of  the  call  for  the  REM 
Council election. Permanent positions of RTV editors-in-chief (which have been filled in acting status 
since 2023) and programme director have not been appointed. 

Economic factors 

Political  and  economic  influence  on  the  media,  including  on  editorial  policy,  is  a  source  of  serious 
concern. In August 2025, a leaked phone conversation between the CEOs of a private media group 
and  of  majority  state-owned  Telekom  Srbija  regarding  personnel  changes  in  the  former  raised 
concerns about political pressure on media outlets perceived as critical towards the authorities. A high 
number  of  registered  media  outlets  combined  with  a  limited  advertising  market  produce  economic 
uncertainty,  especially  at  local  level.  This  means  that  media  often  strongly  depend  on  public  co-
funding. In January 2025, Serbia established a Unified Information System on public co-funding of 
media. The Ministry of Information and Telecommunication increased the 2025 budget for public co-
funding at national level. However, new calls published in 2024 significantly reduced public funding 
in  several  municipalities,  and  the  remaining  public  funding  was  awarded  through  less  transparent 
processes, such as the procurement of information services and advertising. Some media outlets that 
violated  the  Code  of  Ethics  continued  to  receive  public  co-financing,  although  the  Law  on  Public 
Information and Media prescribes the extent to which the media outlets meet ethical standards as one 
of  the  criteria  for  receiving  co-funding.  Media  associations  also  reported  irregularities  and  lack  of 
transparency.  Information  on  other  sources  of  public  funding,  including  advertising,  have  yet  to  be 
made  more  transparent  and  comprehensive  in  the  media  register.  The  register  does  not  reveal 
beneficial  ownership  for  each  media,  since  many  owners  are  listed  as  subsidiary  companies. 
Supervisory inspections of the register have yet to start. 

Professional organisations and working conditions 

The  Press  Council  continued  to  effectively  monitor  print  media’s  compliance  with  the  Serbian 
Journalists’  Code  of  Ethics.  In  2024,  the  Press  Council  received  88  complaints  (125  in  2023)  and 
found  in  almost  all  cases  that  several  points  of  the  Code  of  Ethics  had  been  violated.  In  February 
2025, as part of a larger group of CSOs, a number of media associations announced the suspension of 
their participation in all government working groups and in the standing working group on the safety 
of journalists, arguing that the government failed to meet basic democratic standards or the rule of law 

38 

 
 
principles. Journalists and other media professionals have been working in adverse conditions, often 
without suitable work contracts and unstable financing. Some journalist redundancies, including at the 
public broadcaster, were reportedly in retaliation for their personal social and political views. 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------- 

Freedom of assembly and association 

While  the  legislation  on  the  freedom  of  association  is  adequate, the legal  framework  governing  the 
freedom of assembly needs to be further aligned with European standards, as Serbia has yet to align 
further  with  the  joint  Venice  Commission  and  OSCE/ODIHR  Guidelines  on  Freedom  of  Peaceful 
Assembly and with the Conclusions of the UN Human Rights Committee concerning the notification 
requirements in the Law on public assembly. Following the tragic incident in Novi Sad, large protests 
demanding  accountability and  a  more  effective  fight against  corruption took  place in  various  cities, 
including  student  blockades  of  major  universities.  High-level  authorities  have  attempted  to 
delegitimise the protesters, as well as several media and CSOs, by suggesting, without any evidence, 
that  they  are  seeking  to  ‘destroy  Serbia’s  constitutional  order’  and  preparing  a  foreign-backed  and 
financed  ‘colour  revolution’.  There  were  several  violent  incidents  against  demonstrators  and 
journalists  and,  to  date,  only  some  perpetrators  have  been  prosecuted,  while  several  others  were 
pardoned  from  criminal  prosecution  by  the  President.  Such  incidents  intensified  over  the  summer, 
including vandalism and attacks on properties of individuals and businesses seen as supportive of the 
protests.  There  were  also  incidents  of  attacks  against  unprotected  ruling  party  premises  by  violent 
individuals.  As  regards  the  authorities’  handling  of  protests,  cases  of  excessive  use  of  force  by  the 
police, including against journalists and minors, were reported. There were also allegations of the use 
of  toxic  CN  gas  against  protestors,  which  was  denied  by  the  Ministry  of  the  Interior,  and  of 
unidentified,  masked  individuals  dressed  in  uniforms  resembling  the  police  using  force  against 
protesters. ‘Informative talks’  were  held  by the  Security  Intelligence  Agency  (BIA)  with  protesters, 
which were perceived as a form of pressure. Plainclothes police officers arrested protesters and seized 
and  inspected  their  telephones;  previous  Ombudsman’s  recommendations  to  wear  uniforms  with 
visible  police  identification  have  yet  to  be  fully  enforced.  Overall,  several  hundreds  of  individuals 
were  arrested  in  the  context  of  the  protests,  and  some  were  detained  or  put  under  house  arrest. 
However, few of these cases resulted in indictments. On 29 April 2025, the European Court of Human 
Rights issued an interim measure in the case concerning the alleged use of a sonic weapon for crowd 
control  by  the  authorities  at  demonstrations  in  Belgrade  on  15 March.  The  Court  informed  the 
government  that  it  should  prevent  any  use  of  sound  devices  for  crowd  control  (other  than  for 
communication purposes). The Court noted that ‘use of such weapons for crowd control was unlawful 
in Serbia and, in particular, potentially serious health effects that could be caused to a large number of 
persons.  There  was  no  credible  follow-up  yet  by  the  authorities  which  denied  such  use.  A  case 
initiated by the Organised Crime Prosecutor’s Office is ongoing. 

Labour and trade union rights are covered in Chapter 19 – Social policy and employment. 

Property rights 

The legal and institutional framework for enforcing property rights is in place.  Enforcement through 
the  judicial  and  restitution  system  has  been  slow  and  complex  in  some  cases.  The  Agency  for 
Restitution continued with restitutions in kind of confiscated properties. The government issued bonds 
when restitution in kind was not possible. Sufficient resources, including allocation of land, need to be 
secured to facilitate the finalisation of the process. 

Non-discrimination 

The  legal  framework  on  non-discrimination  needs  to  be  further  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and 
European standards, including the  Directives on standards  for equality bodies. In  addition,  the legal 
framework  on  hate  speech  and  hate  crime  needs  to  be  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and  European 
standards,  including  the  Framework  Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia  and  the  Racial 

39 

 
 
Equality  Directive.  Serbia  needs  to  consistently  implement  strategic  measures  on  combating 
discrimination  and  racism.  Adoption  of  the  2024-2025  anti-discrimination  action  plan  is  seriously 
delayed.  As  of  August  2025,  the  Office  of  the  Commissioner  for  the  Protection of  Equality  had  45 
employees  out  of  60  systematised  posts.  The  procedure  for  electing  a  new  Commissioner  was  not 
initiated by Parliament by the legal 
deadline. Episodes of incitement to 
violence  or  hatred  continued  to 
target  human  rights 
specifically 
defenders, 
LGBTIQ 
Roma, 
persons,  and  migrants.  In  addition, 
in 
the 
Commissioner for the Protection of 
Equality  found  that  unacceptable 
speech  from  public  officials  was  a 
particular problem, as it contributed 
to  the  creation  of  a  hostile  and 
offensive  environment.  Serbia  still 

report, 

2024 

her 

lacks centralised official data on hate crimes, broken down by bias motivation. 

Gender equality 

the 

legal  obligation 

The  legal  framework  on  gender  equality  and  combating  gender-based  violence  needs  to  be  further 
aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and  European standards. Enforcement  is  insufficient  as, in  a context  of 
backlash against the concept of gender equality, the law on gender equality has remained suspended 
since  the  decision  of  the  Constitutional  Court  of  June  2024  and  until  the  assessment  of 
constitutionality  is  completed,  preventing  further  progress  in  this  area.  In  February  2025,  Serbia 
adopted,  with  delay,  a  new  action 
the  gender  equality 
plan  on 
strategy. More efforts are needed to 
enforce 
to 
include  the  gender  perspective  and 
to remove gender stereotypes from 
textbooks,  challenge  stereotypes  in 
the  public  discourse  and  collect 
sex-disaggregated  data. 
official 
Roma  women,  older  women,  poor 
women,  women  with  disabilities, 
refugee  and  internally  displaced 
women  continued  to  experience 
multiple  and  intersecting  forms  of 
discrimination.  

Violence  against  women  and  domestic  violence  continued  to  be  widespread.  Women  played  a 
prominent role in protests and were disproportionately exposed to violence, intimidation and targeted 
attacks. The action plan for the 2021 strategy against violence against women and domestic violence 
is seriously delayed. Reliable integrated data on cases of gender-based violence, with a breakdown by 
type of violence (including digital and obstetric) and by relationship between perpetrator and victim, 
is  not  available  and  there  are  no  reliable  official  statistics  on  femicides.  Data  collected  by  CSOs 
indicates an increase in the number of murdered women who had previously reported violence. Serbia 
needs to align with the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence and to 
address the recommendations of the baseline report issued by the Group of Experts on Action against 
Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) of 2020, which were largely reiterated in 

40 

 
 
GREVIO’s first thematic evaluation report of September 2025. This includes amending the definitions 
of rape and sexual harassment in the Criminal Code to comply with the Istanbul Convention. The very 
few support services for victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence are predominantly 
run by CSOs and operate on a limited budget. The transparency and fairness of public funding in this 
area  need  to  be  significantly  improved  to  address  allegations  of  bias  in  allocating  funding  to 
‘governmental  non-governmental  organisations’  (GONGOs).  Police  protocols  do  not  mandate 
cooperation with specialised support services or routine referral of victims, resulting in the underuse 
of existing CSO expertise. The law against domestic violence does not give women CSOs a standard 
role  in  drawing  up  individual  protection  plans,  as  recommended  by  GREVIO,  but  leaves  their 
participation to the discretion of the relevant prosecutor’s office. The legal provision offering victims 
the  option  to  participate  in  the  creation  of  individual  protection  plans  needs  to  be  enforced.  Safe 
houses lack staffing and adequate funding. Attention needs to be paid to ensuring equal access for all 
women,  including  refugee  and  migrant  women,  transgender  women  and  women  from  other 
marginalised groups. 

Rights of the child 

The  legal  framework  on  the  rights  of  the  child  needs  to  be  further  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and 
European  standards,  including  the  European  Commission  Recommendation  on  integrated  child 
protection, and enforcement needs to be improved. Serbia has yet to ratify the UN Convention on the 
Rights of the Child’s third optional protocol on a communication procedure. Many children joined the 
protests,  which  the  authorities  criticised  despite  the  Convention  on  the  Rights  of  the  Child 
guaranteeing children the rights to freedom of assembly and expression in a safe and peaceful manner. 
In October 2024, Serbia adopted a special protocol for the protection of children from violence in the 
field of social protection; other sectoral protocols in education, health, judiciary and police have yet to 
be adopted. A new strategy related to violence against children has yet to be adopted as the previous 
strategy expired in 2023 and no national action plan for the rights of the child is in place. The Council 
on the rights of the child did not meet in 2024 and, to date, in 2025. It has yet to be supported by a 
technical body and a cross-sectoral group. The Law against domestic violence needs to be amended to 
ensure  that  every  child  who  is  a  witness  or  victim  of  domestic  violence  is  included  in  the  court’s 
individual  protection  plan.  Serbia  needs  to  amend  its  family  law  to  explicitly  prohibit  corporal 
punishment of children in the family and to ban child marriage. A new Law on juvenile offenders and 
the protection of minors in criminal proceedings has yet to be adopted to ensure child-friendly court 
procedures  and  equal  access  to  justice  for  all  children.  Statistical  data  on  vulnerable  groups  is  still 
needed, with a breakdown by age and sex and including Roma children and children with disabilities. 
Although  relatively  few  children  are  placed  in  institutional  care  (under  100  children  per  100 000 
children),  violations  of  child  rights  in  large-scale  institutions  remain  a  concern. Children  with 
disabilities, who are vulnerable to multiple forms of exclusion and abuse, constitute the largest group 
of  children  in  institutions  as  they  are  over-represented  (70%)  among  children  living  in  residential 
large-scale  institutions.  Serbia  does  not  fully  enforce  the  legal  ban  on  placing  children  below  three 
years of age in residential care. 

Persons with disabilities 

The legal framework on the rights of persons with disabilities needs to be further aligned with the EU 
acquis  and  European  standards,  including  the  European  Accessibility  Act  and  the  Commission 
Guidance  on  independent  living  and  inclusion  in  the  community  of  persons  with  disabilities  in  the 
context  of  EU  funding.  Enforcement  mechanisms  need  to  be  improved.  In  January  2025,  Serbia 
adopted the strategy and action plan in this area. Serbia has yet to adopt implementing legislation for 
the  Law  on  temporary  social  care  residents.  There  is  still  no  legal  basis  ensuring  that  placement 
decisions in care homes are subject to regular court reviews. Deprivation of legal capacity procedures 
need to be changed to strengthen the position of the individuals concerned, as noted in the 2022 CPT 
report. Amendments to the family law to abolish the existing system of complete deprivation of legal 

41 

 
 
capacity  have  yet  to  be  adopted.  The  delay  in  adopting  the  action  plan  for  the  2022  strategy  on 
deinstitutionalisation  is  an  increasing  concern.  There  was  no  substantive  progress  in  developing 
sustainable community-based services. Women with disabilities in residential institutions continued to 
face  gender-specific  forms  of  violence.  The  Commissioner  for  the  Protection  of  Equality  published 
the  first  Special  Report  on  Disability-Based  Discrimination,  with  a  particular  emphasis  on 
intersectionality, accessibility and the denial of reasonable accommodation in employment. 

LGBTIQ persons 

The legal protection of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) 
persons  needs  to  be  improved.  Serbia  needs  to  consistently  implement  strategic  measures  on 
combating  discrimination  and  strengthening  the  rights  of  LGBTIQ  persons,  who  continued  to  face 
high  levels  of  discrimination  A  pride  event  took  place  in  Belgrade  in  September  2025.  The 
withdrawal of U.S. funding led to a significant reduction of CSOs activities, including the provision 
of legal and psycho-social support to LGBTIQ persons. There were no developments on the draft law 
on same-sex partnerships, nor on the regulation of legal gender recognition, as already planned in the 
previous anti-discrimination strategy. Serbia needs to align with the EU acquis and ECtHR case law 
in this area. Difficulties remain, especially in smaller municipalities, in implementing amendments to 
the Law on birth registry, which enable data on gender changes to be entered into the registry. The 
implementation  of  legislation  combating  hate  crime,  including  on  grounds  of  sexual  orientation, 
remains  inadequate.  LGBTIQ  persons,  and  in  particular  transgender  persons,  are  vulnerable  to  hate 
speech, violence, abuse and discrimination. Due to a lack of trust in institutions and fear of secondary 
victimisation,  cases  of  violence  and  discrimination  towards  LGBTIQ  persons  are  often  unreported. 
Intersex persons remain invisible both socially and legally. 

Procedural rights and victims’ rights 

The legal framework on procedural rights for suspects and accused as well as the rights of victims of 
crime needs to be further aligned with the EU acquis. A victim support coordinator was appointed at 
the  Ministry  of  Justice.  In  December  2024,  the  High  Judicial  Council  adopted  a  rulebook  on  the 
operation  of victim and  witness  support  services and focal  points  to provide information to  victims 
and witnesses, paving the way to uniform services across the high courts. While such services have 
been  set  up  in  15  high  courts,  a  nation-wide  victim  support  service  is  not  yet  in  place  and  specific 
human and financial resources are still needed. Continued investments are needed to equip high courts 
with  special  equipment  and  separate  rooms  so  that  victims  do  not  face  their  perpetrators  during 
proceedings.  An  effective  referral  mechanism  is  lacking.  Although  CSOs  provide  the  bulk  of 
specialised  victim  support,  they  still  lack  sufficient  and  sustained  financing.  Regarding  access  to 
justice,  there  is  a  need  for  stronger  financial  support  at  state  level,  greater  capacity  of  local  self-
governments to handle legal aid requests and further attention to women’s access to justice in all cases 
of gender-based violence and discrimination. An analysis of the necessary amendments to the Law on 
free legal aid was finalised but its adoption is delayed. 

Protection of minorities 

Serbia’s institutional framework for the protection of persons belonging to minorities is incomplete as 
a  new  action  plan  is  seriously  delayed.  Persons  belonging  to  minorities  continued  to  face 
discrimination.  Serbia  needs  to  take  into  account  the  new,  fifth  opinion  issued  by  the  Advisory 
Committee of the Council of Europe Framework Convention on National Minorities (FCNM) when 
finalising  the  new  action  plan,  in  inclusive  consultations  with  national  minorities.  The  proper 
functioning  and  independence  of  national  minority  councils  remains  important.  Members  of  the 
Albanian national minority continued to raise concerns about the way police were checking residence 
status  in  south  Serbia,  resulting  in  the  ‘passivisation’  of  certain  addresses.  There  is  a  need  for  the 
authorities  to  better  explain  to  the  public  how  these  checks  are  being  conducted  and  to  address  the 
concerns expressed in the fifth opinion over the reported lack of effective remedies. The ‘action plan 

42 

 
 
for improvements in the representation of Albanians in institutions’ has not yet delivered measurable 
outcomes. National minorities remain underrepresented in public administration and the police. The 
Ministry of Education allocated funding for the printing of new textbooks in minority languages; this 
work  needs  to  be  further  intensified.  Although  teaching  Serbian  as  a  non-mother  tongue  continued, 
the  FCNM  Advisory  Committee  underlined  the  importance  of  developing  targeted  measures  to 
improve  official  language  learning,  in  light  of  the  limited  proficiency  of  some  national  minorities. 
Access  to  religious  worship  in  minority  languages  has  yet  to  be  enabled  throughout  Serbia.  Public 
broadcasting services in minority languages are still not sufficient, except for some local broadcasters 
in Vojvodina. Hateful rhetoric against national minorities in the media and by politicians continued. 

Roma 

The institutional framework on Roma is incomplete as a new action plan is pending, and Roma people 
continued to face discrimination. An ex post analysis of the action plan for Roma inclusion for 2022-
2024 was developed and a new action plan needs to be prepared and adopted. Robust monitoring and 
data collection are needed to meet the commitments made in the Poznan Declaration. Job descriptions 
for local Roma coordinators, pedagogical assistants and health mediators have not been aligned, and 
contracts are signed with limited duration. Most Roma people in Serbia have civil documentation. The 
procedure  for  registering  all  births,  regardless  of  the  parents’  status,  needs  to  be  implemented 
effectively  and  monitored.  Roma  pupils  continued  to  receive  scholarships  through  affirmative 
measures. However, school dropout rates remain high, especially for Roma girls. Roma pupils are still 
over-represented  in  special-needs  schools  and  classes.  The  transition  from  education  to  the  labour 
market  is  particularly  challenging.  Roma  people  are  still  underrepresented  in  the  public 
administration. Forced evictions are still taking place, in breach of the law and international standards. 
The FCNM Advisory Committee stressed that no evictions should take place without adequate notice 
and  without  providing  effective  opportunities  for  rehousing  in  decent,  affordable  accommodation. 
Early  and  child  marriage  remains  an  issue  of  concern  among  Roma  girls  living  in  settlements. 
Domestic violence also often goes unreported. 

Refugees and internally displaced persons 

As of July 2024, there were 194 171 internationally displaced persons (IDPs) in Serbia, according to 
official data by the Serbian authorities, of whom 68 500 still have displacement-related needs and are 
among  the  most  vulnerable  segments  of  the  population.  In  November  2024,  Serbia  adopted  a  new 
strategy  to  resolve  issues  related  to  refugees  and  IDPs.  Solutions  for  Roma  IDPs  remain  slow  and 
limited, requiring more funding. 

Citizenship rights 

Serbia will need to ensure that the EU acquis on EU citizenship rights, notably the right to move and 
reside freely within the territory of the Member States, can be applied upon accession. 

2.2.2  Chapter 24: Justice, freedom and security 

The EU has common rules for border and migration management, visa policy, and asylum.. Schengen 
cooperation entails the lifting of border controls inside the EU. There is also cooperation in the fight 
against serious and organised crime and terrorism, and judicial, police and customs cooperation, all 
with the support of the EU Justice and Home Affairs agencies. 

Fight against serious and organised crime 

The legal framework on serious and organised crime is partially aligned with the EU acquis. 

The capacity to fight against serious and organised crime needs to be improved. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

43 

 
 
The  2024-2027  national  Serious  and  Organised  Crime  Threat  Assessment  (SOCTA)  provides  the 
operational  priorities  for  fighting  serious  and  organised  crime.  A  new  Director  of  Police  was 
appointed in April 2025. The position had been vacant since December 2021. The Prosecutor’s Office 
for  Organised  Crime  (POOC)  and  the  Special  Prosecutor’s  Office  for  Cybercrime  lack  sufficient 
human,  material  and  technical  resources  to  carry  out  their  tasks.  In  2024,  the  number  of  public 
prosecutors  in  the  POOC  was  reduced,  leaving  six  out  of  25  positions  vacant.  The  POOC  and  the 
police lack the technical resources to carry out special investigative measures without the help of the 
Security  Information  Agency  (BIA).  The  police  services  still  lack  a  shared  case  /  workflow 
management system, connecting all institutions and giving them access to a common database. Serbia 
should  continue  to  work  towards  ensuring  a  fully  operational  national  criminal  intelligence  system 
and make the Asset Recovery Office fully operational. 

The operational autonomy of the police from the Ministry of the Interior during the pre-investigation 
and investigation phases to be fully 
accountable  only  to  the  prosecutor 
is  still  not  established  either  in  law 
or  in  practice.  A  new  Law  on 
internal affairs has yet to be adopted 
to  address 
the 
recommendations of the Committee 
for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). 
Serbia should adopt amendments to 
the  Law  on  organisation  and 
competence  of  state  authorities  in 
suppression  of  organised  crime, 
terrorism and corruption to improve 
the  institutional  set-up  in  the  fight 
against  organised  crime.  Serbia 
should  also  put  in  place  an  anti-
corruption strategy for the police to 
strengthen anti-corruption measures. 

issue  and 

this 

Serbia  should  phase  out  the  role  of  the  security  services  in  investigations  of  serious  and  organised 
crime cases.  Legislative changes should be made to limit the role of BIA and the Military Security 
Agency  to  national  security  threats  and  remove  their  involvement  in  criminal  proceedings.  A  clear 
separation  needs  to  be  made  between  the  remits  and  regulations  for  criminal  investigations  and  for 
security purposes. 

In  November  2024,  Serbia  amended  the  Law  on  the  freezing  of  assets,  with  the  aim  of  preventing 
terrorism  and  the  proliferation  of  weapons  of  mass  destruction,  to  fulfil  the  Financial  Action  Task 
Force recommendations. Amendments to the Law on the seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of 
crime  have  been  prepared.  A  strategic-operational  plan  for  the  prevention  of  money  laundering, 
terrorist financing and financing of the proliferation of weapons for mass destruction (2025-2029) was 
adopted in April 2025 (see also chapter 4 – Free movement of capital).  

A new strategy and action plan for the fight against cybercrime has yet to be adopted. The Criminal 
Code and the Criminal Procedure Code are not yet harmonised with the Second Additional Protocol to 
the  Council  of  Europe  Budapest  Convention  on  Cybercrime.  Serbia  needs  to  address  the  Lanzarote 
Committee’s  recommendations  on  the  Convention  on  the  Protection  of  Children  against  Sexual 
Exploitation  and  Sexual  Abuse.  In  addition,  the  legal  framework  needs  to  be  aligned  with  the 
Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child pornography. 

The  Law  on  the  prevention  and  combating  of  trafficking  in  human  beings  and  the  protection  of 
victims  has  been  prepared  but  remains  to  be  adopted.  While  CSOs  are  the  primary  providers  of 

44 

 
 
support for victims of trafficking, they still lack sufficient and sustained financing. Implementation of 
the programme for the fight against human trafficking (2024-2027) is ongoing. Coordination among 
institutions at national and local levels should be further increased. 

Amendments  to  the  Criminal  Code are  being prepared  with the  aim of effectively criminalising the 
trafficking  of  weapons.  The  new  Law  on  weapons  and  ammunitions  and  the  programme  on  the 
control of small arms and light weapons and its action plan for the period 2025-2030 have yet to be 
adopted.  The  Firearms  Focal  Point  remained  fully  operational.  Serbia’s  proof  house  for  testing 
firearms and ammunition joined the Commission Internationale Permanents pour l’épreuve des armes 
à feu portatives (CIP) in December 2024.  

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  although  there  was  a  decrease  in  the  number  of  individuals  indicted  for  organised  crime, 
there was an increase in the number of individuals convicted and of individuals under investigation. 
The use of plea agreements needs to be carefully balanced against the need to avoid any impression of 
impunity  in  serious  and  organised  crime  cases.  Serbia  should  increase  the  number  of  proactive 
investigations,  based  on  intelligence-led  policing,  focusing  on  high-profile  cases  aiming  at 
dismantling big and international criminal organisations. 

Financial  investigations  are  still  not  conducted  consistently  and  systematically  when  investigating 
serious and organised crime, including money laundering, illicit trafficking and terrorism. Proactive 
financial  investigations  are  needed,  including  a  systematic  tracking  of  money  flows,  to  be  able  to 
identify  more  criminal  assets,  uncover  illegal  financial  schemes,  increase  confiscation  and  gather 
circumstantial evidence of inexplicable wealth. In 2024, financial investigations were initiated in 11 9 
cases of serious and organised crime. 

Cooperation with CEPOL, Eurojust, Europol and Interpol continued, leading to arrests in serious and 
organised crime cases and to the disruption of organised criminal groups. In 2024, a total of 13 672 
messages  were exchanged via  the  Secure  Information  Exchange  Network  Application  (SIENA)  (up 
from  10 098  in  2023).  Serbia  continued  to  actively  participate  in  the  European  Multidisciplinary 
Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT), taking part in 73 operational actions (up from 64 in 
2023),  including  four  as  action  co-leader.  In  the  fight  against  money  laundering  and  following 
indictments by the Prosecutor’s Office for Organised Crime, eight individuals were convicted in 2024 
(five in 2023). In 2024, 94 individuals were convicted (final decision) for money laundering in courts 
of general jurisdiction (see also Chapter 4 – Free movement of capital). 

The  specialised  police  department  for 
combating  high-tech  crime  continued  to 
conduct  investigations  on  the  darknet  to 
identify  illegal  content,  illicit  trade  and 
various  malware  services.  Serbia  played 
an  active  role  in  international  operations 
aimed at combating cybercrime, including 
online child sexual exploitation. 

45 

 
 
victims 

third-country 

Of the total 34 convictions for trafficking in human beings, seven individuals were convicted in the 
context  of  organised  crime  and  27  under  general  jurisdiction.  Serbia  should  take  further  steps  to 
support and protect victims of trafficking in human beings, including proper protection during trials, 
and to improve the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of trafficking cases, in particular for 
the  purpose  of  labour  exploitation.  Given  the  migratory  flows  through  its  territory,  Serbia  needs  to 
build  the  capacity  to  detect  and  identify 
possible 
of 
trafficking  in  human  beings,  including 
through the abuse of visa-free regimes. In 
2024, the Centre for protection of victims 
identified  71 
of  human 
2023). 
Serbia’s 
victims 
participation 
is  a  key 
in  EMPACT 
instrument  for  responding  to  trafficking 
in 
has 
beings. 
demonstrated  a  strong  commitment  in 
combatting  trafficking  in  human  beings 
by  participating 
in  11  EMPACT 
operational  actions  out  of  22,  including 
the Global Chain. 

trafficking 
in 

human 

Serbia 

(66 

Continued  efforts  are  needed  to  prevent 
the storage, sale and ownership of illegal firearms, registration and destruction of surrendered weapon 
and arms’ trafficking. In 2024, Serbia seized 1 100 pieces of firearms, 35 325 pieces of ammunition 
and 5 360 grams of explosives.  The capacity of law enforcement bodies to handle cases of gender-
based violence and their victims should be improved. 

Cooperation in the field of drugs 

The  legal  framework  for  cooperation 
in  the  field  of  drugs  needs  to  be 
improved. 

alignment, 

Legal 
institutional frameworks 

strategic 

and 

Serbia’s 
legislative  framework  for 
psychoactive  substances  has  been  in 
force  since  2021.  The  Criminal 
Procedure  Code  still  needs  to  be 
amended  so  that  only  a  sample  of 
drugs is kept as material evidence for 
court proceedings. 

The  national  drug  strategy  expired  in 
2021,  and  Serbia  has  not  yet  adopted 
the Operational Plan for the Prevention of Drug Abuse for 2024-2027. Serbia has a well-established 
national  early-warning  system  that  continued  to  liaise  with  the  EU  Drugs  Agency  (EUDA)  on 
psychoactive  substances  and  trends.  The  list  of  psychoactive  controlled  substances  continued  to  be 
updated, and Serbia’s National Drugs Observatory remained operational. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

46 

 
 
Of  the  900  final  convictions  in  2024  for  drug production  and  trafficking, 35  were in the  context  of 
organised crime. Serbia played an active role in numerous EMPACT operations aimed at combating 
drug trafficking. 

There is a high level of cooperation between the EUDA and Serbia. Serbia submitted a national drug 
situation review including data that are largely aligned with EU standards. 

Fight against terrorism and the prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism 

The legal framework for the fight against terrorism is largely aligned with the EU  acquis. The fight 
against terrorism is broadly satisfactory. 

The  legal  framework  for  countering  violent extremism  is  partially  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The 
countering  of  violent  extremism,  in  particular  ethnonationalism  and  violent  right-wing  extremism, 
needs to be improved.  

The legal framework for critical infrastructure protection and the resilience of critical entities is not 
aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The  protection  of  critical  infrastructure  and  the  resilience  of  critical 
entities needs to be improved. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Serbia did not further align its legal framework with the EU acquis on the fight against terrorism and 
prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism. 

Serbia  has  yet  to  adopt  the  programme  for  preventing  and  combating  terrorism  and  all  forms  of 
radicalisation and violent extremism for the period 2025-2030 and the accompanying action plan. The 
previous strategy  expired in  2021.  A  National  Coordinator  and the  National  Coordination  Body  for 
the  Prevention  and  Combating  of 
Terrorism have been in place since July 
2023. 

Implementation 
capacity 

and 

enforcement 

limited  progress 

in 
Serbia  made 
implementing  the  EU-Western  Balkans 
Joint  Action 
on 
Counterterrorism. The national database 
for  the  prevention  and  fight  against 
terrorism  has  been  operational  since 
June 2023. 

(JAP) 

Plan 

In  2024,  there  was  one  conviction  for 
terrorist offences and the Prosecutors’ Office for Organised Crime filed seven indictments. A growing 
concern is the increasing presence of right-wing extremist content online, along with hateful content 
and disinformation. 

Serbia actively participated in Europol analysis projects falling under the European Counter Terrorism 
Centre  and  in  international  operations  supported  by  Europol  aiming  at  countering  terrorist  content 
online (i.e. Referral Action Days) and CEPOL activities. Serbia should integrate the knowledge and 
competencies gained through CEPOL trainings into its law enforcement training system. Serbia also 
took  part  in  several  Interpol  operations  and  projects  as  well  as  the  Council  of  Europe  Network  of 
Contact Points on Foreign Terrorist Fighters. 

Pre-investigative action was taken to discover and prove the financing of terrorism (140 individuals, 
one  legal  entity  and  two  citizens’  associations  were  checked).  There  were  no  final  convictions  for 

47 

 
 
financing  of  terrorism.  Serbia  should  speed  up  the  process  of  identifying  critical  infrastructure  and 
aim to align its legislation with the Directive on critical entities resilience. 

Judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters 

Judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters is broadly satisfactory. 

The legal framework for judicial cooperation in civil and criminal matters is partially aligned with the 
EU acquis to the extent that alignment 
is  already  possible.  Serbia  should 
reform  its  legal  framework  to  enable 
more  efficient  cooperation  in  criminal 
institutional 
increase 
matters  and 
capacity  to  reduce  processing  times. 
The  Criminal  Code  and  Criminal 
Procedure Code still need to be aligned 
with the EU acquis.  

reporting 

continued 

Serbia 
on 
implementation  of  the  2007  Hague 
Convention on Child Support , in force 
since February 2021. Serbia still needs 
to accede to two core instruments under the Hague conference of private international law: the 2000 
Hague Convention on the International Protection of Adults and the 2019 Hague Convention on the 
Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgements in Civil or Commercial Matters. 

The average duration of the procedure for providing mutual legal assistance (MLA) was 499 days in 
civil  matters  and  470  days  in  criminal  matters.  Regulatory  and  administrative  capacity  measures 
should be taken to improve efficiency and timeliness for executing mutual legal assistance requests. 
Eurojust  and  Serbia  have  continued  their  good  cooperation  in  criminal  matters  through  the  Serbian 
Liaison  Prosecutor.  From  1  March  2024  to  31  July  2025,  Serbia  participated  in  130  new  cases  at 
Eurojust, of which 60 were opened at the request of the Serbian Liaison Prosecutor. The majority of 
cases  related  to  organised  crime,  drug  trafficking,  money-laundering  and  fraud.  Three  new  joint 
investigation  teams  were  created  related  to  organised  crime  and  drug  trafficking,  in  addition  to  the 
five from the previous period.  

The  Supreme  Public  Prosecution  Office  was  active  in  cooperating  with  the  European  Judicial 
Network.  The  working  arrangement  on  cooperation  with  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office 
(EPPO), which has been pending since 2023, has still not been finalised. In 2024, EPPO sent three 
requests for mutual legal assistance to Serbia. 

Legal and irregular migration 

legal 

framework 

The 
for 
management  of  legal  and  irregular 
migration  is  partially  aligned  with 
the EU acquis. 

The  management  of 
irregular  migration 
satisfactory. 

legal  and 
is  broadly 

Legal  alignment, 
institutional frameworks 

strategic  and 

48 

 
 
The  legislative  framework  for  the  management  of  external  borders  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU 
acquis. However, further alignment and better implementation is still needed to ensure efficient and 
systematic registration of irregular migrants. 

Serbia  contributed  to  the  management  of  mixed  migration  flows  to  the  EU  and  continued  to 
implement the EU Action Plan on the Western Balkans. Further alignment with EU visa policy and 
additional progress under all pillars in the Action Plan is expected, in particular action to improve the 
efficiency of the asylum system. 

In March 2024, Serbia adopted a decision on providing temporary protection to all people having fled 
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This provides the legal basis for further extensions. 

In  terms  of  combating  irregular  migration,  implementation  of  the  integrated  border  management 
strategy  (2022-2027)  and  accompanying  action  plan  (2022-2024)  is  delayed.  Serbia  has  not  yet 
adopted the next action plan for the period 2025-2027. 

As an observer in the European Migration Network, Serbia is included in the Asylum and Migration 
Overview of EU Member States and observer countries. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

Serbia continues to host a substantial number of third-country nationals with EU support. 

The  EU-Serbia  readmission  agreement  continued  to  be  implemented.  In  November  2024,  Serbia 
signed  a  readmission  agreement  with  Kazakhstan.  Negotiations  on  readmission  agreements  are 
ongoing with Iceland, Ukraine, Türkiye and efforts to establish cooperation on legal migration and on 
readmission  are  ongoing  with  Pakistan,  Bangladesh  and  Nepal.  Serbia  should  ensure  that  legal 
pathways developed for third-country nationals entering Serbia prevent secondary movements to the 
EU. 

Serbia continued to intensify border controls and police operations targeting migrant smugglers. For 
the  second  consecutive  year,  the  number  of  irregular  movements  through  Serbia  fell  substantially 
from the previous year (43 474 in 2023 to 14 029 in 2024) and Serbia recorded the lowest number of 
migrants accommodated in reception and asylum centres since 2015. Due to this significant decrease, 
the  Commissariat  for  Refugees  and  Migration  continued  to  reduce  the  number  of  operational 
reception and asylum centres (6 operational out of 17), in accordance with the response plan for the 
management of mixed migration flows. While the lower occupancy rate helped improve conditions in 
some  reception  facilities,  reduced  reception  capacities  increased  the  risk  of  migrants  moving  faster 
and  undetected  through  the  country 
and  without  access 
to  essential 
reception  and  protection  services.  A 
contingency  plan  is  in  place  in  case 
there 
in 
migration  flows.  Overall,  reception 
capacities are adequate. 

is  a  sudden 

increase 

In  2024,  Serbia  conducted  new 
investigations  in  306  smuggling  of 
migrant  cases  and  filed  indictments 
against  381  defendants.  The  police 
operation  launched  in  2023  and 
targeting 
controls 
intensified 

smugglers and migrants illegally present in the country continued in 2024. 

49 

 
 
Serbia continues to take part in the Global Alliance to Counter Migrant  Smuggling and is invited to 
renew its  engagement  at  the  occasion  of the  Global Alliance's second  conference  scheduled to  take 
place end of 2025. 

Asylum 

The management of asylum needs to be improved. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Serbia’s  legal  framework  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis,  but  further  alignment  and  better 
implementation of current legislation is still needed to ensure fair and fast asylum processing. 

Serbia  should  revise  the  Law  on  asylum  and  temporary  protection  to  further  align  it  with  the  EU 
acquis,  notably  on  effective  access  to  the  procedure,  appeal  bodies,  rights  and  obligations  of 
applicants/people  under  international  protection,  free  legal  aid  and  on  the  safe  third-country 
procedure. 

Serbia has the institutions needed to manage asylum applications. The third roadmap for cooperation 
(2024-2026)  with  the  European  Union  Agency  for  Asylum  (EUAA)  has  been  developed  but  final 
endorsement  of  the  roadmap  is  still 
pending. 

to 

Amendments 
the  Law  on 
employment  of  foreigners  facilitate 
access  to  employment  for  refugees 
and  asylum  seekers  in  Serbia.  For 
example,  it  shortens  the  period  for 
asylum  seekers  to  access  the  labour 
market from nine to six months from 
the  date  of  their  asylum  application. 
As  of  February  2024,  the  Asylum 
Office issued 51 travel documents to 
refugees,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
EU. 

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

There were fewer asylum seekers in 2024 compared with previous years. Out of the 847 individuals 
(against  1 654  in  2023  and  4 155  in  2022)  who  expressed  their  intention  to  seek  asylum,  only  219 
lodged  an  asylum  application.  The  absconding  rate  remained  high  at  over  50%.  The  asylum 
recognition  rate  was  very  low.  In  2024,  only  four  asylum  seekers  received  refugee  status,  three 
received subsidiary protection while 79 had their request denied. 

In  2024,  Serbia  granted  375  Ukrainian 
citizens 
and 
extended protection for 707 people. 

temporary  protection 

The  quality  of  asylum  decisions  needs 
to  be  further  improved.  Efforts  have 
been made to develop country-of-origin 
information 
the 
Asylum  Department.  The  Asylum 
Commission  and  the  Administrative 
Court  should 
the  Asylum 
review 
Office’s decisions more effectively and 

functions  within 

50 

 
 
based on merit. Further advanced training is needed. The state-funded free legal aid mechanism in the 
asylum procedure needs to be improved. 

Serbia has the basic legal framework for integration in place, including good practice for individual 
integration plans. However, the quality of ID documents to facilitate access to socio-economic rights 
and services, and the predictability and scope of integration schemes (e.g. for the acquisition of skills, 
language proficiency, and integration of persons with disabilities) continue to be major obstacles to 
integration. 

Visa policy 

Visa policy is not fully aligned with EU policy, in particular  concerning the list of countries whose 
nationals require a visa to enter the EU. In December 2024, the Serbian government abolished the visa 
exemptions for Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Mongolia nationals. Serbia’s list of visa-free countries still 
differs by 12 countries. Serbia’s visa issuing system is partially in line with the EU Visa Code. 

In 2024, Serbia further tightened its requirements for obtaining entry visas. A more rigorous screening 
of  visa-free  arrivals  of  third-country  nationals  is  necessary,  in  particular  of  arrivals  from  countries 
presenting security or irregular migration risks. 

In May 2025, Serbia launched a new digital platform for travel authorisations as a pilot phase in the 
digitalisation  of  its  visa  application  and  approval  procedure.  The  platform  currently  covers  42 
countries which are visa required in Serbia and where Serbia lacks consular representation. Of these, 
16 countries are also visa-required in the EU. Serbia should therefore ensure appropriate safeguards 
and security checks when processing the travel authorisations from these countries. At this stage, the 
platform applies exclusively to tourist visas and short-term stays. 

According to Eurostat, 3 270 Serbian nationals applied for asylum in the EU 27 in 2024 (against 4 695 
in 2023).  

The  acquisition  of  visa-free  travel  rights  to  the  EU  for  Russian  nationals  by  granting  them  Serbian 
citizenship poses potential security risks for the EU. Rigorous security screening should apply when 
granting Serbian citizenship to Russian nationals, since Serbian passport holders benefits from visa-
free travel to the EU. 

Schengen governance and external borders 

The  legislative  framework  for  the  management  of  external  borders  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU 
acquis. The management of borders is broadly satisfactory. 

Legal alignment, strategic and institutional frameworks 

Continued efforts are needed to align with and implement the EU  acquis. Issues relating to national 
borders are governed by the Law on border control. 

Serbian  authorities  have  well-established  cooperation  with  the  European  Border  and  Coast  Guard 
Agency  (Frontex).  As  of  September  2025,  159  standing  corps  officers  are  deployed  at  Serbia’s 
borders  with  North  Macedonia  and  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  and  at  the  international  airport  in 
Belgrade, in addition to Hungary and Bulgaria. The new status agreement between the EU and Serbia 
entered into force on 1 April 2025 and renewal of the Ministry of Interior’s working arrangement with 
Frontex  is  ongoing.  Serbia  has  also  invited  Frontex  to  extend  its  operations  along  the  borders  with 
Croatia,  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina  and  Montenegro,  and  those  deployments  are  expected  in  the  last 
quarter of 2025. 

Implementation of the integrated border management (IBM) action plan (2022-2024) is delayed and 
should  be  followed  up  more  effectively  by  the  coordination  body  in  charge  of  monitoring  the 

51 

 
 
activities and results. The subsequent action plan for the period 2025-2027 has been prepared but has 
not yet been adopted.  

Implementation of the Schengen acquis is supported by the Schengen action plan. Given the need to 
reinforce and establish a solid foundation for the Schengen system, an action plan for the accession of 
Serbia to the Schengen area was adopted in July 2023, and implementation is ongoing.  

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

Significant  investment  is  needed  in  human,  financial  and  technical  resources  for  border  control 
(second-line checks, border surveillance and equipment for the detection of forged documents), and in 
infrastructure  at  border  crossing  points,  in  line  with  EU  Schengen  requirements.  A  national 
coordination  centre  is  not  yet  established.  Inter-agency  cooperation  is  satisfactory  between  border 
police  and  customs  at  border  crossing  points.  Further  improvements  are  needed  on  information 
exchange by enabling mutual access to databases and a formalised and secure information exchange 
system. Serbia should also increase the capacity of all stakeholders in IBM to achieve interoperability 
with  EU  border  management  information  systems.  Serbia  should  step  up  action  to  implement  the 
Directive  on  the  obligation  of  carriers  to  communicate  advance  passenger  information  and  the 
Directive  on  the  use  of  passenger  name  record  data  for  the  prevention,  detection,  investigation  and 
prosecution of terrorist offences and serious crime. 

In  January  2025,  several  foreign  civil  society  representatives  (including  from  EU  Member  States) 
were detained and expelled from Serbia. Some were subsequently banned from entering the country 
on  the  grounds  of  representing  a  ‘security  risk’.  Furthermore,  in  March  2025,  several  foreign 
journalists, including from EU Member States, were denied entry into Serbia and some EU citizens 
legally residing in Serbia had their residence status removed and were asked to leave the country at 
short notice (see Freedom of expression). 

Based  on  the  Police  Cooperation  Convention  for  Southeast  Europe  (PCC  SEE),  the  Ministry  of 
Interior  established  cooperation  with  all  neighbouring  countries.  Joint  patrols  continued  with 
Hungary, North Macedonia and Romania. 

The  interim  common  crossing  points  (CCPs)  between  Kosovo  and  Serbia  remain  operational.  Only 
two of the six permanent CCPs have been established (Merdare and Mutivodë/Mutivode). Serbia still 
needs to establish permanent CCPs hosted on their side (Jarinje/Rudnica, Končulj/Dheu i Bardhë and 
Depce/Muçibabë),  which  led  to  a  suspension  of  EU  funds  for  a  project  in  July  2018.  In  addition, 
Serbia needs to engage constructively to enable the construction of the CCP hosted by Kosovo in the 
north of Kosovo at Tabavije/Bërnjak-Tabalije/Brnjak. Urgent action is required from Serbia to close 
illegal  roads  and  bypasses  to  ensure  exclusive  use  of  official  crossing  points  for  goods  and  people 
entering or leaving Kosovo. 

An  anti-corruption  preventive  mechanism  for  authorities  involved  in  IBM  has  been  adopted,  but 
further efforts are still needed at regional and local level. 

Serbia  needs  to  continue  building  the  capacity  needed  to  conduct  returns  of  migrants  with  no  legal 
right  to  stay  to  their  countries  of  origin,  both  for  forced  and  voluntary  returns,  in  a  manner  fully 
compliant with fundamental rights and international law. 

Counterfeiting of the euro (criminal law aspect) 

Serbia’s legislation on the suppression of counterfeit currency is largely aligned with the EU acquis. 

The  central  bank  has  formal  cooperation  agreements  with  the  European  Commission  on  coins  and 
with  the  European  Central  Bank  on  banknotes.  The  National  Bank  of  Serbia  conducts  technical 
analysis and provides specialised training for licensed entities that authenticate euro coins and process 
euro banknotes since January 2020. Procedures are in place to deal with counterfeit money. 

52 

 
 
2.3. ECONOMIC CRITERIA 

2.3.1. The existence of a functioning market economy 

Economic governance 

Serbia remained committed to maintaining macroeconomic stability. Serbia’s 24-month stand-by 
arrangement  with  the  International  Monetary  Fund  (IMF)  was  successfully  concluded  in  December 
2024.  It  was  replaced  by  a  36-month  Policy  Coordination  Instrument  (PCI),  under  which  Serbia 
commits  to  continue  to  implement  important  reforms  regarding  SOE  governance,  the  public-sector 
wage  system,  fiscal  transparency,  public  investment  management  and  energy  sector  reforms.  The 
government’s current fiscal strategy (2025-2027) targets an increased deficit of 3.0% of GDP in every 
single year, which is higher than the ceiling set in the fiscal rules. 

Serbia has partially implemented the policy guidance set out in the conclusions of the May 2024 
Economic  and  Financial  Dialogue. 
Serbia  has  achieved  good  progress 
notably  in  achieving  a  sufficiently 
tight  monetary 
stance, 
continuing  action  to  promote  the  use 
of the domestic currency and creating 
a  bank  resolution  fund.  However, 
only partial progress was made on the 
public-sector  wage  reform,  fiscal  risk 
analysis 
reporting, 
and 
implementation of the new SOE Law 
and  on  strengthening  medium-term 
budgeting. 

policy 

Macroeconomic stability 

53 

Table 19:202220232024Serbia - Key economic figuresGDP per capita (% of EU-27 in PPS)1)42464951Real GDP growth 3.52.63.83.9Activity rate of the population aged 15-64 (%), total1)67.770.971.772.7      female60.164.065.666.9      male75.377.877.878.6Unemployment rate of the population aged 15-64 (%), total1)12.59.89.78.9      female13.310.310.29.1      male11.99.49.38.8Employment of the population aged 15-64 (annual growth %)2.12.30.82.0Nominal wages (annual growth %)6.913.814.714.4Consumer price index (annual growth %)2.311.912.14.6Exchange rate against EUR119.3117.5117.3117.1Current account balance (% of GDP)-4.5-6.6-2.4-4.7Net foreign direct investment, FDI (% of GDP)6.36.85.75.6General government balance (% of GDP)-1.9-3.0-2.1-2.0General government debt (% of GDP)55.852.548.047.2Notes: 1) EurostatSources: Statistical office of Serbia, National Bank of Serbia, Ministry of Finance of Serbia and Eurostat2016-21 average 
 
 
Following last year’s strong growth, economic activity slowed down at the beginning of 2025. In 
2024, GDP growth reached 3.9%, slightly higher than the average growth rate of 3.6% between 2019 
and  2023,  driven  by  buoyant  investment  and  rising  consumer  spending.  Consumer  spending  was 
supported by higher real disposable income resulting from rapid real wage growth, while investment 
was  boosted  by  strong  inflows  of  foreign  direct  investment  (FDI)  in  2024  and  an  ambitious  public 
investment programme. In line with the strong increase in domestic demand, the contribution of net 
exports to GDP growth was negative as import growth far exceeded exports. However, the ongoing 
domestic political turmoil, weak demand from main EU trading partners, and intensified global trade 
tensions dampened economic sentiment, notably in the first half of 2025, and resulted in GDP growth 
decelerating to only about 2% in the first two quarters of 2025. The income gap with the EU average 
continued  to  narrow  slightly  in  2024,  with  GDP  per  capita  in  purchasing  power  standards  reaching 
51% of the EU average, up from 42% in 2019. 

In  line  with  surges  in  investment  and  spending,  the  current  account  deficit  widened 
considerably in 2024. After falling to 2.4% of GDP in 2023, the external deficit rose to 4.7% of GDP 
in 2024 as both the trade and the primary income balance deteriorated notably. In the second quarter 
of 2025, the current account deficit rose further to 6.3% of GDP due to the large negative goods trade 
balance only partly offset by the surplus in trade in services, supported by ICT and business service 
exports.  At  the  same  time,  the  growing 
stock of FDI resulted in higher outflows 
of dividend and interest payments, while 
remittances  decreased.  The  current 
account  deficit  was  fully  offset  by  net 
FDI  inflows  in  2024,  reaching  5.6%  of 
GDP. However, FDI fell by over half in 
the  first  six  months  of  2025  compared 
with the same period in 2024, but the fall 
is  from  record-high 
levels.  Official 
foreign  exchange  reserves  peaked  at  the 
end of 2024 at 35.6% of GDP, covering 
7.3  months  of  goods  and  services 
imports,  before  subsiding  in  early  2025.  External  debt  remained  stable  at  60.6%  of  GDP  in  2024, 
slightly below the average of 62.6% between 2019 and 2023. 

Monetary policy remained relatively tight in 2024, which helped inflation return to within the 
central bank’s target band (3±1.5%) in mid-2024. Down from 12.1% in 2023, inflation averaged 
4.7% in 2024 but continued to hover around the upper bound of the target band in the second half of 
2024. It bottomed at 3.8% in May 2025, but has since accelerated to 4.7% in August, notably driven 
by food prices. After lowering the key policy rate in the second half of 2024 in three steps to 5.75%, 
the  National  Bank  of  Serbia  (NBS)  has  refrained  from  further  easing  of  monetary  conditions  as 
domestic  price  pressures  remain  high.  The  NBS  maintained  exchange  rate  stability  but  switched  to 
being  a  net  seller  on  the  local  FX  market  in  the  first  half  of  2025  due  to  the  deteriorating  external 
position. 

54 

 
 
by 

increased 

The  general  government  deficit 
turned out lower than planned in 
2024,  at  2.0%  of  GDP.  Compared 
with 2023 figures, both revenue and 
1.5 
expenditure 
percentage  points  (pps)  of  GDP, 
resulting in a minor improvement of 
the  deficit  vis-à-vis  2023  and  a 
continuation of the positive trend in 
the  balance  since  the  outbreak  of 
the  COVID-19  pandemic  in  2020. 
Revenues  were  mostly  boosted  by 
social  contributions  and  personal 
income tax, driven by rises in wages and employment. Capital spending increased by 0.9 pps to 7.3% 
of GDP, while current spending on pensions (up 0.8 pps) and wages (up 0.6 pps), also saw notable 
increases.  However,  these  were  in  line  with  the  special  fiscal  rules  capping  pension  and  wage 
expenditure  at  10% of  GDP  each.  The level of  subsidies  remained relatively  high  at  2.5%  of  GDP. 
The  primary  balance  was  slightly  negative.  The  public  debt-to-GDP  ratio  declined  to  47.5%  from 
48.4% in 2023. In October 2024, S&P Global Ratings upgraded Serbia’s short- and long-term foreign 
and local currency credit rating, which resulted in the country’s first-ever investment grade rating. 

The fiscal governance framework, while well-designed, risks being undermined by the decision 
to  postpone  the  full  application  of  the  fiscal  rules.  Serbia  adopted  a  new  set  of  fiscal  rules  in 
December 2022,  with the deficit  component set  to enter into  force  in  2025.  However, in late  2024, 
specific new deficit targets were agreed with the IMF under the PCI. The fiscal deficits are thereafter 
in  practice  anchored  by  the  IMF  program,  as  the  application  of  the  deficit  rule  will  be  de  facto 
postponed until 2029, while the fiscal rule component on pension and public wage growth is still in 
place. Budgetary practices need improvements, notably as regards the budget procedure, including for 
amending  budgets.  Serbia  used  the  fast-track  procedure  again  to  adopt  the  2024  supplementary 
budget.  Similarly,  the  contingency  reserve,  (which  is  relatively  high  against  an  international 
comparison)  allows  for  substantial  ad  hoc  spending  decisions  during  the  year.  The  reserve  lacks 
clearly defined restrictions on the use of ad hoc decisions and is often spent in an untransparent way. 
The  Fiscal  Council  continued  to  monitor  fiscal  policies,  producing  independent  reports  and 
recommendations.  

Overall, the macroeconomic policy mix was appropriate, although the plan to loosen the fiscal 
stance in 2025 somewhat contradicts the efforts to combat inflation. Under current projections, the 
more expansionary fiscal policy is still set to result in a sustainable fiscal position as public debt is 
projected to decline gradually. However, the decision to weaken the fiscal targets appears pro-cyclical 
in  the  context  of  a  projected  economic  upswing  in  the  coming  years.  Maintaining  fiscal  discipline 
would be important to manage inflationary risks. Monetary policy has been appropriately tight, given 
the persisting domestic inflationary pressure. 

Functioning of product markets 

Business environment 

Despite progress in reducing the regulatory and administrative burden on businesses, there are 
still  weaknesses  that  affect  small  and  medium-sized  enterprises  (SMEs)  in  particular.  The 
business  environment  is  hampered by red tape,  political  interference,  weaknesses in the rule  of law 
and limited  efficiency  and transparency  of the public administration.  The  Law  on  foreign exchange 
transactions is too restrictive and not applied consistently. Serbia ranked 105th out of 180 countries in 
the  2024  corruption  perception  index  by  Transparency  International,  continuing  the  negative  trend 
since 2016. Efforts to reduce the size of the informal economy continued, but several factors favour 

55 

 
 
 
its persistence: high taxes and social security contributions on the lowest salaries, parafiscal (non-tax) 
charges, red tape and shortcomings in addressing corruption. In addition, there is insufficient capacity 
in  key  inspection  departments.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  improve the  quality,  independence  and 
efficiency of the justice system. 

State influence on product markets 

The  state  has  significantly  intervened  in  the  product  markets.  The  government  announced  in 
August  2025  a  major  new  intervention  into  the  domestic  trade  of  many  basic  goods,  taking  effect 
abruptly on 1 September 2025 for the following 6 months, with no meaningful prior consultation with 
stakeholders.  The  measure  caps  margins  for  the  largest  retailers,  wholesalers  and  distributors  to  a 
maximum of 20% of purchase price for a large number of products, such as most food categories and 
household  cleaning  and  personal  hygiene  products,  cosmetics,  etc.  While  it  is  intended  to  benefit 
consumers and contain inflation, the measure risks disrupting the business operations of retailers and 
the  whole  supply  chain  and  could  negatively  impact  investment  and  business  climate.  The  legal 
framework for competition and State aid is broadly in line with the EU acquis, but greater alignment 
is needed with implementing legislation and to make implementation systematic. The Commission for 
Protection  of  Competition  (CPC)  and  the  Commission  for  State  Aid  Control  (CSAC)  are  legally 
independent bodies. However, the operational independence of the CSAC needs to be demonstrated. 
State  aid  rules  are  not  always  implemented  due  to  strong  political  pressure  to  provide  financial 
assistance to SOEs and large foreign investors, which has a significant impact on competition. State 
aid is not sufficiently transparent, including in the 2025 budget.  In addition, temporary ad hoc trade 
restrictions continue to be brought in at very short notice and without clear justification, with negative 
impacts on both local and foreign companies. Public investment management and public procurement 
procedures  still  use  exemptions  from  standard  procedures,  undermining  the  attainment  of  a  unified 
and transparent system for investment planning and management and preventing fair competition.  

Privatisation and restructuring 

The  state  still  plays  a  major  role  in  the  economy,  which  hampers  competition  and  the 
development of the private sector. Serbia’s SOEs still operate in many structurally important sectors 
including  energy,  transport,  manufacturing,  telecommunications  and  finance,  and  employ  a  large 
share of Serbia’s workforce. Their outsized presence affects resource allocation and impedes overall 
competitiveness while also posing a major risk for public finances. Steps have been taken to improve 
SOE governance through the 2021-2027 strategy on state ownership and management of SOEs and 
the Law on SOE governance, which entered into force in September 2024, and a number of related 
secondary laws. However, practical improvements have so far been limited. Many SOEs still do not 
apply  proper  corporate  governance  rules  and  continue  to  operate  inefficiently.  They  often  rely  on 
direct  or  indirect  government  subsidies  and  are  subject  to  strong  political  influence.  The  issue  of 
appointing  temporary  managers  for  extended  periods  (against  the  rules)  has  yet  to  be  addressed  in 
practice.  It  is  critical  to  finalise  and  operationalise  the  implementing  legislation  without  delay,  to 
ensure  its  application  in  practice,  and  make  sure  that  the  institutions  responsible  for  doing  so  have 
sufficient administrative capacity. 

Functioning of the financial market 

The  banking  sector  remained  stable  in  the  reporting  period.  The  sector’s  capital  adequacy  was 
21.3% at the end of 2024, well above the 8% minimum set by the central bank. Sector-wide liquidity 
remained high. Profitability increased, with the return on assets increasing to 2.8% in 2024 from 2.5% 
in 2023. The non-performing loan ratio decreased to 2.9% at the end of 2024 from 3.2% at the end of 
2023.  Bank  lending  to  the  non-financial  sector  amounted  to  around  36.5%  of  GDP  in  2024.  Bank 
financing  remained  the  dominant  form  of  lending,  with  non-banking  financial  institutions  still 
underdeveloped. The Central Bank has intervened in the consumer and ‘first residential property’ loan 
market by issuing supervisory guidance for commercial banks to offer more favourable interest rates 

56 

 
 
and lending conditions specifically for low-income employees and pensioners. While the objective is 
to improve the accessibility of banking services for all categories of the population, this measure risks 
distorting the credit market, creates incentives for loan uptake beyond market-driven conditions and 
raises  loan  default  risks.  A  legal  framework  for  microfinance  institutions  is  yet  to  be  drawn  up. 
Backed by the capital market development strategy, Serbia is working to further develop the domestic 
corporate  bond  capital  market.  The  availability  of  venture  capital  in  Serbia  is  very  limited,  but  the 
adoption of the Draft Law on Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Alternative Investment 
Funds in 2024 is a step in the right direction.  

Functioning of the labour market 

The labour market continued to improve. The overall unemployment rate fell to 8.6% in the fourth 
quarter  of  2024.  The  activity  rate  of  the  population  aged  15-64  continued  to  increase  in  2024  and 
reached  72.7%.  Net  salaries  increased  by  13.9%  in  nominal  terms,  which  due  to  lower  inflation  in 
2024 translated into a 9.2% growth in real terms. Despite the increase in the activity rate of women, 
their  participation  in  the  labour  force  lags  significantly  behind  that  of  men  (66.9%  and  78.6% 
respectively in 2024). The youth unemployment rate (15-24) was 23% in 2024, down from about 50% 
a decade ago. Emigration and the brain drain is a long-standing problem which has a negative impact 
on the growth and skills level of the labour force. Companies’ access to skills is an increasing issue in 
various  sectors.  Despite  notable  unemployment,  local  labour  shortage  is  a  common  issue  for  larger 
investments. Unemployment benefits and subsidised job seeker measures are low compared with the 
EU average. The budget allocated to active labour market measures has stagnated at around 0.1% of 
GDP in recent years. Undeclared work, especially in the agricultural sector, is a long-standing issue 
that  has  yet  to  be  fully  addressed.  However,  legislation  on  temporary  agency  employment  and 
seasonal work has gradually lowered the rate of people working in the informal economy. 

2.3.2. The capacity to cope with competitive pressure and market forces within the EU 

Education and innovation 

Despite the ongoing implementation of the 2030 education strategy, the quality of education and 
training has yet to meet labour market needs. Public spending on education remains below the EU 
average (3.2% in 20234). According to the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 
2022, Serbia’s learning outcomes are below the OECD average, but at the top in the Western Balkans. 
Serbia  made  progress  in  facilitating  the 
school-to-work  transition,  as  evidenced 
by  the  11  pps  increase  in  employment 
rates  of  recent  graduates  over  the  past 
five years (reaching 73.1% in 2024) and 
the  relatively  low  rate  of  young  people 
not in education, employment or training 
(NEET) (15.2% in 2023 for people aged 
15-29 and 15.9% in the fourth quarter of 
2024).  The  modernisation  of  vocational 
education and training (VET) is ongoing. 
The  quality  of  education  needs  to  be 
improved  to  meet  labour  market  needs 
and  limited  exposure  to  practical  work-place  training  remains  a  challenge  even  for  VET  students. 
Participation  rates in lifelong  learning  remained low.  To  remedy this, the  offer could  be  diversified 
and  better  promoted,  while  reskilling  and  upskilling  should  be  facilitated.  The  legal  framework  for 

4 Latest available data 

57 

 
 
 
lifelong learning lacks detailed implementation guidance, including standards for programme content, 
certification requirements and links to the National Qualifications Framework. Investment in research 
remained  low  at  0.88%  of  GDP  in  2023  (against  the  EU  average  of  2.24%).  The  share  of  private-
sector  investment  remained  unchanged  at  43.7%  of  total  financing.  The  share  of  researchers  in  the 
labour force has steadily increased over the last 10 years to above the EU average. Implementation of 
Serbia’s smart specialisation strategy, the strategy for development of start-up ecosystem and the law 
on innovation activity are ongoing.  

Physical capital and quality of infrastructure 

The  level  of  government  investment  is  high,  concentrated  in  road  and  rail  infrastructure,  but 
infrastructure gaps remain. In 2024, Serbia invested a total of 23.6% of its GDP. The economy also 
attracted  significant  FDI  inflows  of  EUR 4.6  billion,  or  5.6%  of  GDP  in  2024,  largely  directed  to 
manufacturing, mining and construction. Government investment was relatively high at over 7.3% of 
GDP in 2024, concentrated in railways, roads, energy infrastructure and environmental investments. 
Continuous monitoring  of  transport  investment  compliance  with  European  standards is  a  challenge. 
Energy  infrastructure  is  largely  outdated,  and  coal  remains  the  main  source  of  energy.  However, 
recent auctions were successful in attracting bidders for new renewable sources. The regulatory and 
green transition reforms are progressing but at too slow a pace. Serbia remains highly dependent on 
Russia  for  gas  and  oil,  although  steps  have  been  taken  to  diversify  import  sources.  Work  is 
progressing on transport connectivity with neighbouring countries. The authorities are committed to 
extending  the  ‘green  lanes’  to  neighbouring  Member  States,  in  line  with  the  Growth  Plan  for  the 
Western Balkans. Serbia’s digital transformation is well under way. Digital connectivity infrastructure 
is well developed in urban areas but underdeveloped in rural areas where commercial operators do not 
see any economic interest. However, some progress on rural broadband connectivity has been made in 
recent  years.  Digital  government  services  are  well  developed,  already  reaching  the  EU  average  in 
many  dimensions.  Businesses  are  relatively  active  in  e-commerce,  but  digital  uptake  among  SMEs 
remains  constrained  mainly  due  to  insufficient  support  mechanisms  to  translate  regulatory 
improvements into business practice. 

Sectoral and enterprise structure 

Services  dominate  the  economy,  providing 
more than two thirds of the value added. Industry continued to be the single largest sector in terms 
of its share of GDP, at 21.5% in 2024 although on a declining trend for several years. The share of the 
agricultural sector fell to 3.7% of GDP, while the share of the construction sector in GDP increased to 
5.8%  in  2024,  supported  by  investments  in  infrastructure.  SMEs  provided  close  to  60%  of  total 
employment  and  turnover  in  the  economy  and  around  50%  of  the  value  added  in  20235.  SMEs  are 
particularly  active  in  construction,  housing  and  food  services,  retail  and  real  estate.  Serbia  is 

5 Last data point available. 

58 

 
 
 
implementing  several  programmes  to  support  SME  development,  although  the  budget  allocation 
remains modest and prone to ad hoc changes and cuts. Loans to SMEs consistently account for some 
two thirds of total corporate loans, but SMEs’ borrowing costs are significantly higher than the costs 
faced by large companies. Policies to compensate for SMEs' lack of collateral, such as public credit 
guarantee  schemes,  are  lacking.  SMEs  often  face  an  uneven  playing  field  as  large  companies  and 
foreign  investors  often  have  direct  lines  of  communication  to  the  government  and  are  much  more 
likely to receive state subsidies.  

Economic integration with the EU and price competitiveness 

Economic  integration  with  the  EU  is  high.  The  EU  is  Serbia’s  biggest  trading  and  investment 
partner,  accounting  for  58.3%  of  all  trade  and  37.6%  of  FDI  inflows  in  2024.  Serbia’s  other  main 
trading  partners  in  2024  were  China  (10%),  the  Central  European  Free  Trade Agreement  (CEFTA) 
countries  (9%)  and  Türkiye  (4.5%).  China  has  become  an  increasingly  important  source  of  both 
imported goods and FDI inflows, accounting for around a third of the FDI inflow in 2024. There are 
still  significant  bottlenecks  at  border  crossing  points  with  neighbouring  EU  countries,  despite 
continued efforts in various fora to address these. 

The real effective exchange rate (REER) has steadily appreciated in recent years. The dinar–euro 
nominal exchange rate was broadly stable, as the central bank successfully managed both appreciation 
(in  2024) and  depreciation  (in the  first quarter  of 2025)  pressure  on the  dinar. The  Consumer  Price 
Index  (CPI)-based  REER  appreciated  by  4.6%  cumulatively  between  2020  and  2022,  edged  down 
slightly  by  0.3%  in  2023,  and  then  rose  again  by  0.4%  in  2024.  This  reflects  persistent  inflation 
differentials between Serbia and its main trading partners. Similarly, the unit labour cost (ULC)-based 
REER continued to appreciate in 2024, rising by 13.4% over the year, mostly due to continued strong 
wage growth in the private sector. 

2.4. PUBLIC PROCUREMENT, STATISTICS AND FINANCIAL CONTROL 

Chapter 5: Public procurement 

EU  rules  ensure  that  the  public  procurement  of  goods,  services  and  works  in  any  Member  State  is 
transparent and open to all EU companies on the basis of non-discrimination and equal treatment. 

Institutional set-up and legal alignment 

The  legal  framework  of  Serbia  is  broadly  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The  Law  on  public-private 
partnerships and concessions (PPPs) still needs to be amended to align with the Directive 2014/23/EU 
on concessions. In April 2025, Serbia adopted the 2025 annual action plan related to the 2024-2028 
Programme for the development of the public procurement.  

Serbia  continues  to  have  the  tendency  to  circumvent  its  legislation  in  this  area  through 
intergovernmental agreements and special laws, including for the implementation of the international 
specialised exhibition EXPO Belgrade 2027. The Law on special procedures for the implementation 
of  EXPO  Belgrade  2027  and  its  accompanying  decree  exempt  projects  from  the  application  of  the 
Law  on  public  procurement  (PPL)  and  continue  to  raise  concerns  with  respect  to  their  compliance 
with the EU acquis, including as regards legal redress and tender submission deadlines. Additionally, 
the  Decree  on  the  selection  of  a  strategic  partner  for  solar  power  plants  which  introduced  an 
exemption from the PPL and the Law on PPPs remains in force. An EXPO 2027 module exists on the 
public  procurement  portal.  The    transparency  of  projects  contracted  under  intergovernmental 
agreements has improved, but remains limited.  

Implementation and enforcement capacity 

In  2024,  the  public  procurement  market  represented  10.87%  of  GDP  (10.50%  in  2023)  and 
increased  by  22%  in  terms  of  total  value  of  contracts  while  the  average  number  of  bids  per  tender 

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slightly increased from 2.4 to 2.5. The share of tenders with only one submitted bid remained broadly 
at the same level (50.75%) as in 2023. The number of public procurement procedures applying green 
and social procurement principles doubled in 2024. The share of contracts awarded on the basis of the 
price and quality criterion doubled from 4.46% in 2023 to 9.78% in 2024. In 2024, 55 contracts for 
public-private partnerships were signed. 

Concerning the capacity to manage public procurement processes, the Public Procurement Office 
(PPO)  remains  slightly  understaffed,  whereas  the  administrative  capacity  of  the  Commission  for 
Public-Private  Partnerships  and  Concessions  needs  to  be  significantly  strengthened.  The  PPO 
continued to provide trainings to contracting authorities, economic operators and the judiciary.  

The total value of contracts exempted from the application of the PPL decreased from EUR 7.1 billion 
in 2023 to EUR 5.7 billion in 2024. Intergovernmental agreements were the second most frequently 
used legal basis for the exemptions in terms of value (EUR 1.2 billion) and represented 21% of the 
exemptions reported in 2024.   

The number of public procurement procedures monitored by the PPO remained stable at 810 in 2024 
(782  in  2023).  The  number  of  requests  submitted  by  the  PPO  to  the  relevant  courts  to  initiate 
misdemeanour  proceedings remained stable (223 in 2024, 218 in 2023). The State Audit Institution 
found irregularities in cases covering 21.2% of the value of public procurement contracts audited in 
2024. These findings raise concerns and need to be closely followed up. More efforts are needed to 
consistently apply the PPL, to improve competition and transparency and to avoid conflicts of interest 
in the public procurement process, which remains vulnerable to corruption. 

Efficient remedy system 

Legislation on the right to legal remedy is broadly in line with the EU acquis, which is enforced by 
the  Republic  Commission  for  Protection  of  Rights  in  Public  Procurement  Procedures  (RCPRPPP). 
The RCPRPPP solved 803 cases out of 812 requests for protection of rights in 2024 (729 received in 
2023).  Due  to  limited  specialisation  and  training,  the  Administrative  Court’s  implementation 
capacity is weak, and thus needs to be increased. Exchange of knowledge and information between 
the PPO and the Republic Commission with the Administrative Court should be further improved. 

Chapter 18: Statistics  

European statistics are developed, produced and disseminated by EU Member States, guided by the 
principles  and  quality  criteria  elaborated  in  the  Regulation  on  European  statistics,  such  as 
professional  independence,  impartiality,  reliability,  accessibility  transparency  and  statistical 
confidentiality.  Common  rules  are  in  place  for  the  methodology,  production  and  dissemination  of 
statistical information, which are further specified in sectoral legislation that constitute the EU acquis 
on statistics. 

Serbia’s  statistical  infrastructure  is  largely  in  line  with  European  standards  and  integrates  the 
principles of the European Statistics Code of Practice. A new law on official statistics, which should 
enhance the professional independence of the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia (SORS) and 
improve the alignment with the amended Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics has yet 
to be adopted. The institutional framework is functional, but the administrative capacity of SORS still 
needs to be strengthened.  

Concerning classifications and registers, the main classifications are aligned with the EU acquis and 
registers are  updated  regularly.  SORS’  submission  of  data to  Eurostat  continues  to  increase  but  the 
coverage of data needs to be further expanded. 

Regarding  macroeconomic  statistics,  Serbia  implemented  a  benchmark  revision  in  2024  and 
improved  the  completeness  of  the  submitted  ESA  tables,  but  there  are  still  data  gaps.  As  regards 
government finance statistics (GFS) and excessive deficit procedure (EDP), efforts should continue to 

60 

 
 
comply with ESA 2010. The coverage of the questionnaire related to the excessive deficit procedure 
notification  tables  as  well  as  the  alignment  of  ESA  tables  and  EDP  notifications  following  the 
benchmark  revision  should  be  further  improved.  The  results  pf  the  benchmark  revision  needs to  be 
communicated adequately to users. 

Serbia  is  largely  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  concerning  business  statistics.  It  transmits  structural 
business  statistics  (SBS)  data  and  metadata  for  publication  to  Eurostat  in  good  quality  and  in  the 
required technical format. SORS also submits business demography (BD) data to Eurostat. However, 
for SBS as well as BD full coverage as well as timeliness has yet to be achieved. In the area of short-
term business statistics (STS), Serbia produces fully compliant data except for service producer prices 
and the service production volume. Serbia should start the compilation of outward foreign affiliates 
statistics (outward FATS).  

Serbia broadly complies with the EU acquis on social statistics. However, further progress is needed 
to  produce  statistics  on job  vacancies.  Demographic  and  international  migration  statistics  are  partly 
aligned  with  EU  requirements.  Serbia  should  increase  efforts  to  provide  population  data  by  all 
required  breakdowns  and  submit  to  Eurostat  data  on  immigrants,  emigrants  and  acquisition  of 
citizenship by all requested breakdowns  

Regarding  agricultural statistics,  Serbia  is  largely  compliant  with  the  EU  acquis  but  still  needs to 
transmit agro-monetary statistics.  

Annual and monthly  energy  statistics  are  produced and  sent  for  all  relevant  energy  sources.  In the 
area  of  environmental  statistics  Serbia  is  fully  compliant  for  physical  environmental  accounts. 
However,  monetary  environmental  accounts  data  still  need  to  be  developed.  Serbia  has  also  yet  to 
start  submitting  data  on  pesticide  statistics,  fertiliser  consumption  and  gross  nutrient  balances, 
whereas and ecosystem accounts are still missing. 

Chapter 32: Financial control 

The EU promotes the reform of national governance systems to improve managerial accountability, 
sound  financial  management  of  income  and  expenditure  and  external  audit  of  public  funds.  The 
financial control rules further protect the EU’s financial interests against fraud in the management of 
EU funds and protect the euro against counterfeiting. 

Public internal financial control 

The  legal,  strategic  and  institutional  framework  for  public  internal  financial  control  (PIFC)  is 
broadly in place. However, Serbia should improve its implementation and ensure full consistency of 
the PIFC legal basis with the general legal framework. Weaknesses in performance management and 
lines  of  accountability  between  independent  bodies  and  their  parent  institutions  persist.  The 
managerial accountability roadmap was adopted in December 2024, but its implementation is lagging 
behind.  

Capacities to implement internal control standards, including risk management, have to increase at 
both  central  and  local  government  level  and  to  be  integrated  in  the  administrative  culture.  The 
framework for irregularity reporting for budget beneficiaries is in place, but the system needs to be 
properly  implemented.  The  Ministry  of  Finance  has  successfully  centralised  the  budget  inspection 
function  which  however  needs  to  be  strengthened.  The  mapping  of  the  national  inspection 
environment and ensuring its proper role and scope remain a priority.  

The  internal  audit  practice  is  broadly  in  line  with  international  standards.  However,  despite  an 
increase in the number of internal auditors, not all institutions required to put in place an internal audit 
unit  have  done  so,  and  many  internal  audit  units  do  not  have  a  sufficient  number  of  auditors. 
Amendments to the Budget System Law adopted in November 2024 introduced penal provisions for 
budget beneficiaries which fail to put in place internal audit functions but remain to be enforced. 

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The  central  harmonisation  unit  continued  to  focus  on  system  development  and  dissemination  of 
methodological guidance. 

External audit 

Serbia’s  constitutional  and  legal  framework  provides  for  the  independence  of  the  State  Audit 
Institution  (SAI)  in  line  with  the  standards  of  the  International  Organisation  of  Supreme  Audit 
Institutions.  The  SAI  Strategic  Plan  for  the  period  2024-2028  is  duly  implemented.  The  SAI  audit 
procedures  are  in  line  with  international  standards.  Although  short  from  filling all  systematised  job 
positions,  SAI  currently  demonstrates  sufficient  institutional  capacity.  The  implementation  of  its 
recommendations is satisfactory. However, the continued focus on the detection of errors and filing of 
misdemeanour  and  economic  offences  and  criminal  charges  against  individuals  adversely  affected 
SAI’s capacity to carry out its core audit tasks. SAI’s financial independence was respected during the 
2025 budget approval procedure. The quality of audit work is constantly improving and during 2024, 
SAI started to conduct real-time performance audits.  

Protection of the EU’s financial interests 

Serbia has achieved a high degree of EU acquis alignment, but full alignment with the Directive on 
the  fight  against  fraud  to  the  EU’s  financial  interests  by  means  of  criminal  law  still  needs  to  be 
ensured.  The  2024-2026  strategic  plan  for  combating  fraud  and  managing  irregularities  in  handling 
financial resources of the EU in Serbia is being implemented. The  anti-fraud coordination service 
(AFCOS) in the Ministry of Finance has only five full time and three temporary employees out of the 
planned 13. In 2024, AFCOS performed five administrative checks. 

Serbia continued good cooperation with OLAF during investigations, and with other departments of 
the European Commission on the follow-up to recommendations. In 2024, Serbia reported 25 cases of 
irregularities  via  the  Irregularity  Management  System.  Serbia  should  maintain  its  efforts  in  further 
developing a solid track record on cooperation in investigations and reporting of irregularities. 

Protection of the euro against counterfeiting 

Serbia  maintained  a  high  degree  of  EU  acquis  alignment.  The  NBS  has  formal  cooperation 
agreements  with  the  European  Commission  on  coins  and  with  the  European  Central  Bank  on 
banknotes.  NBS  continued  to  develop  its  administrative  capacities  and  actively  cooperated  with 
central banks in the region and Member States. 

3.  GOOD NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS AND REGIONAL COOPERATION 

Good  neighbourly  relations  and  regional  cooperation  form  an  essential  part  of  Serbia’s  European 
integration process. They contribute to stability, reconciliation and a climate conducive to addressing 
open bilateral issues and the legacy of the past. 

Serbia  maintained  its  engagement  in  several  regional  cooperation  initiatives  such  as  the  Central 
European Free Trade Agreement, the Energy Community, the Transport Community, the South-East 
European Cooperation Process and the Regional Cooperation Council. 

The  fifth  EU-Western  Balkans  Summit  was  held  in  December  2024  in  Brussels.  It  provided  an 
opportunity to build on the momentum in the strategic partnership between the European Union and 
the  Western  Balkans,  including  a  reflection  on  how  to  deepen  that  partnership  and  move  forward 
together towards a joint future in the EU. 

Serbia has actively engaged in the regional dimension of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, 
actively participating in both ministerial and leaders’ meetings. 

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On the Common Regional Market (CRM), at the Berlin process summit in London in October 2025, 
the  leaders  of  the  region  endorsed  a  revised  and  streamlined  action  plan  to  implement  the  Green 
Agenda  for  the  Western  Balkans,  adopted  a  Western  Balkans  Climate  Adaptation  Roadmap  and 
committed  to  make  progress  in  the  promotion  of  regional  mobility  and  implementation  of  relevant 
regional agreements and CEFTA decisions. . Serbia signed the fifth mobility agreement on access to 
higher education and admission to studies in the Western Balkans and supported the CRM action plan 
for  2025-2028.  So  far,  Serbia  has  ratified  four  of  the  five  regional  mobility  agreements;  the 
ratification of the fifth mobility agreement is still pending. The roadmap for roaming between the 
Western Balkans and the EU entered the first phase of implementation. Twelve decisions were agreed 
by the CEFTA Joint Committee in October 2024, following an agreement between CEFTA members 
that allowed decision making in the organisation to be unblocked. 

As  a  signatory  to  the  Dayton/Paris  Peace  Agreement,  Serbia  respects  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina’s 
sovereignty  and  territorial  integrity  while  developing  and  publicly  promoting  special  relations  with 
the  Republika  Srpska  entity.  As  part  of  a  continuing  trend,  senior  Serbian  officials  attended  the 
unconstitutional  entity  celebrations  on  9 January.  Serbia  hosted  then  political  leaders  of  Republika 
Srpska  entity  despite  recent  arrests  warrants  issued  against  them  by  the  institutions  of  Bosnia  and 
Herzegovina and filed a request at Interpol countering an international arrest warrant against the then 
Republika Srpska leader filed by a BiH court.  

Serbia continued to cooperate closely with Croatia, Montenegro and  Bosnia and Herzegovina under 
the Sarajevo Declaration Process to find sustainable solutions for refugees and persons displaced by 
conflicts in the 1990s. 

Regarding missing persons, Serbia continued working with the International Commission on Missing 
Persons and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Serbia took part in the work of the 
Western  Balkans  Missing  Persons  Group  to  address  unresolved  cases  of  mutual  interest  and 
unidentified persons together with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia and Kosovo. Serbia 
also  joined  trilateral  meetings  to  foster  cooperation  with  Montenegro  and  Kosovo.  No  bilateral 
meeting  with  Croatia  has  taken  place  since  January  2023.  The  Belgrade  delegation  to  the  ICRC-
chaired working group on missing persons remained engaged, including in assessing possible grave 
sites  in  Serbia.  The  mechanism  has  not  met  at  Heads  of  delegation  level  since  April  2021,  due  to 
Kosovo’s refusal to engage with the Head of the Belgrade delegation. Following ad hoc meetings of 
the working group at the level of Deputy Heads of delegation, hosted by the ICRC in January and July 
2024,  both  delegations  agreed  on  field  work  plans  and  to  relaunch  meetings  at  sub-levels  of  the 
working group to discuss specific cases (in July and October 2024). Another session of the Working 
Group  was  held  in  June  2025,  with  Kosovo  delegation  represented  by  its  Head  and  Serbia  by  its 
Deputy Head. Consecutive sessions of the sub-working group scheduled for December 2024, January 
and June 2025 did not take place. Operational coordination was sustained through an ICRC-chaired 
thematic  session  on  unidentified  human  remains  (NNs)  in  March  2025,  during  which  the  parties 
exchanged information on several NNs cases of common interest and agreed to jointly focus on those.  

While these commitments have so far been only partially fulfilled by both delegations, several joint 
field assessments, excavations and examinations took place during the reporting period, resulting in 
the  resolution  of  four  missing  persons’  cases.  Two  joint  field  assessments  were  organised  by  the 
Belgrade delegation in 2024 (in Kozlje and Kozarevo, located in the Novi Pazar municipality) and the 
launch  of  forensic  works  in  Kozlje  started  in  September  2025.  The  parties  have  exchanged 
information that  can  potentially  lead  to  the  identification of five  unidentified  human remains in  the 
Pristina mortuary. Recent analytical reports and extracts from internal archives obtained by the ICRC 
could potentially lead to further progress. 

Overall,  Kosovo-Serbia  cooperation  in  the  working  group  remained  hampered  by  unconstructive 
behaviour  by  the  parties.  On  17 December  2024,  the  two  Chief  Negotiators  of  Serbia  and  Kosovo 
agreed  on  the  terms  of  reference  for  the  Joint  Commission  on  Missing  Persons  during  an  EU-

63 

 
 
facilitated Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue meeting, paving the way for the overdue implementation of the 
Joint Declaration on Missing Persons endorsed by President Vučić and Prime Minister Kurti in May 
2023. The Joint Commission is yet to hold its first trilateral meeting. 

Overall, Serbia has remained committed to maintaining good bilateral relations with other candidate 
countries  and  neighbouring  EU  Member  States.  However,  in  2025,  several  nationals  of  several  EU 
Member  States  were  expelled  from  Serbia  and  given  a  one-year  entry  ban  on  security  grounds. 
Several  EU  Member  States  issued  protest  notes  to  the  Serbian  Ministry  of  Foreign  Affairs  in  this 
regard. 

Relations with Albania remained good overall. However, Serbia reacted negatively to the signing of a 
declaration on cooperation in security and defence between Croatia, Albania and Kosovo. 

Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina are overall good and stable. They continue to be affected by 
political  tensions  in  relations  to  the  2024  ‘all-Serb  assembly’  and  its  declaration  on  ‘the  common 
future  of  the  Serbian  people’.  As  is  the  case  every  year,  senior  Serbian  officials  attended  the 
unconstitutional  Republika  Srpska  entity  celebrations  on  9 January.  Milorad  Dodik  continued  to 
receive political and logistical support from Serbia after the arrest warrant and final conviction, which 
the  Serbian  President  and  the  Serbian  government  refuse  to  accept.  As  a  signatory  to  the  Dayton  / 
Paris  Peace  Agreement,  Serbia  is  obliged  to  respect  Bosnia  and  Herzegovina’s  sovereignty  and 
territorial integrity. The two countries need to reach an agreement on state borders, including on two 
dams on the Drina River and a part of the Belgrade-Bar railway. 

Relations  with  Montenegro  are  generally  stable  despite  occasional  mutual  accusations.  High-level 
visits  took  place  and  cooperation  agreements  were  signed  between  the  two  countries.  The 
Ambassador of Montenegro was accredited in April 2025. 

Relations with North Macedonia intensified. The Prime Minister of North Macedonia paid an official 
visit to Belgrade. Memoranda of Cooperation were signed on the energy sector, gas sector and public 
administration reform. Serbia opened an Honorary Consulate in Kumanovo. 

Relations with  Türkiye are good. The fourth meeting of the Türkiye-Serbia High-level Cooperation 
Council  took  place  in  October  2024  in  Belgrade,  chaired  by  the  two  Presidents,  who  agreed  to 
strengthen  defence  cooperation.  Disagreement  over  Türkiye’s  support  to  Kosovo’s  membership  in 
international organisations (notably the Council of Europe) remains. 

Relations  with  Ukraine  have  improved,  although  Serbia  has  not  joined  the  sanctions  against  the 
Russian Federation. The Serbian Embassy to Ukraine in Kyiv was reopened in December 2024 and 
the new Serbian Ambassador to Ukraine was accredited. In June 2025, President Vučić made his first 
official  visit  to  Ukraine  to  participate  in  the  Ukraine-Southeast  Europe  Summit  in  Odesa 
(re)confirming  Serbia’s  support  to  the  territorial  integrity  and  sovereignty  of  Ukraine.  However,  he 
did not sign the common declaration (see also Chapter 31). Serbia continued to provide financial and 
humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. 

Relations with the Republic of Moldova are good but trade relations are underdeveloped. 

Serbia’s relations with Georgia are overall good. Serbia has a Memorandum of Understanding with 
Georgia on cooperation in the field of European integration. A parliamentary delegation from Georgia 
visited  Belgrade  in  March  2025  and  air  flights  have  been  launched  from  Belgrade  to  Tbilisi. 
Preparations are ongoing to open the Serbian Embassy in Tbilisi. Bilateral trade is underdeveloped. 

Relations with  Romania and Bulgaria are overall good and relations with  Hungary are very good, 
with high-level meetings taking place regularly and a number of joint strategic projects in the area of 
energy and transport. 

Relations with Croatia continue to be marked by ad hoc antagonistic public exchanges and diplomatic 
demarches.  Serbia  has  expelled  several  Croatian  nationals  on  alleged  grounds  of  posing  a  security 

64 

 
 
threat in the context of mass protests following the tragic accident at the railway station in Novi Sad. 
Nonetheless,  energy  cooperation  between  the  two  countries  remained  effective  throughout  the 
reporting period. Serbia reacted negatively to the declaration on cooperation in security and defence 
signed by Croatia, Albania and Kosovo and the signing of a bilateral agreement on expanding military 
cooperation between Croatia and Slovenia. 

4.  NORMALISATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN SERBIA AND KOSOVO 

The EU-facilitated Dialogue on normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo continued in 
the reporting period with regular Dialogue meetings on the level of Chief Negotiators.  

Both Serbia and Kosovo are expected to implement all of their respective obligations stemming from 
the  Agreement  on  the  Path  to  Normalisation  and  its  Implementation  Annex,  as  well  as  all  past 
Dialogue  agreements,  in line  with  the  official  recommitment made  in  September  and  October  2024 
respectively. Serbia is expected to start delivering on its obligations from the Agreement by initiating 
the recognition of Kosovo’s documents, symbols and institutions, while Kosovo is expected to start 
the  process  leading  to  the  establishment  of  the  Association/Community  of  Serb  Majority 
Municipalities (A/CSM)  in  parallel.  The  Agreement  is  valid  and legally  binding  for  the  parties  and 
any  formalities, including related  to its adoption  or  “formalisation”,  should  not  stand in  the  way  of 
making progress in its implementation. The Parties also have an obligation to fully implement all past 
Dialogue Agreements. The constructiveness of the Parties will be assessed based solely on their own 
implementation  performance.  Normalisation  of  relations  and 
their  Dialogue 
commitments remain essential conditions on the European path of both Parties and both risk losing 
important opportunities in the absence of progress. 

implementing 

In  January  2025,  the  Council  appointed  Peter  Sørensen  as  EU  Special  Representative  for  the 
Belgrade-Pristina  Dialogue,  to  assist  High-Representative/Vice-President  in  taking  forward  the 
normalisation talks. 

During  the  reporting  period,  the  situation  in  the  north  of  Kosovo  remained  calm  but  fragile.  In 
November 2024, an attack on the Iber Lepenc / Ibar Lepenac canal in the north of Kosovo took place 
for which perpetrators still have to be apprehended and brought to justice. In summer 2025, a series of 
arrests by both Serbia and Kosovo, including the Assistant Director of the Serbian Office for Kosovo 
Igor  Popović  (later  released),  temporarily  negatively  affected  the  normalisation  process.  In  this 
context,  Serbia  is  expected  to  comply  with  the  2015  Justice  Agreement  stipulating  that  criminal 
proceedings for offences in Kosovo are to take place in principle in front of Kosovo courts, notably in 
the case of arrest of Arbnor Spahiu. Serbia repeatedly conducted activities contrary to its obligations 
under  the  Agreement  on  the  Path  to  Normalisation  by  lobbying  against  Kosovo’s  membership  in 
international organisations. The normalisation process continues to be impacted by insufficient steps 
by  Serbia  to  ensure  accountability  for  the  violent  attack  by  armed  Kosovo  Serb  assailants  against 
Kosovo Police on 24 September 2023 in Banjska/Banjskë, which constituted the gravest escalation in 
recent  years.  Kosovo  also  repeatedly  conducted  activities  contrary  to  its  obligations  under  the 
Dialogue,  including  police  operations  against  Serbia-supported  structures  and  services  in  the  north. 
Kosovo  also  arrested  and  immediately  deported  Kosovo  citizens  working  for  Serbian  security 
structures  and  constructed  two  new  bridges  in  Mitrovica  in  the  vicinity  of  the  main  bridge.  These 
actions are not in line with the spirit of normalisation. The EU expressed concerns about the recurrent 
lack  of  coordination  by  Kosovo  and  the  negative  impact  on  local  communities  and  their  access  to 
basic public and social services, while reiterating that the actions undermine efforts towards sustained 
de-escalation – most recently in its statement of 16 May 2025.  

When it comes to the state of play on implementation of all Dialogue agreements: 

-  The withdrawal of Kosovo Serbs from Kosovo institutions in November 2022 and the boycott of 
local  elections  in  the  north  of  Kosovo  in  April  2023  violate  Serbia’s  Dialogue  obligations  and 

65 

 
 
they constitute severe backsliding in Serbia’s compliance with the April 2013 “First agreement of 
principles governing the normalisation of relations” and direct violation of the Justice Agreement 
of 2015. At the time of reporting, both Parties are not complying with the 2013 “First agreement 
of principles governing the normalisation of relations and the 2015 Justice Agreement.  The EU 
welcomed  the  participation  of  Kosovo  Serbs in the  parliamentary elections  on 9  February  2025 
and local elections in Kosovo on 12 October 2025 as a first step towards return of Kosovo Serbs 
to  Kosovo  institutions.  The  EU  recalls  that  the  return  of  Kosovo  Serb  officials  to  Kosovo 
institutions,  including  judiciary  and  law  enforcement,  has  to  be  done  in  accordance  with  past 
Dialogue agreements and with full respect for Kosovo’s legal framework. 

-  There has been no further progress on the implementation of the August 2015 Agreement, which 
laid  down  the  principles  for  establishing  the  A/CSM.  Kosovo  and  Serbia  are  urged  to  engage 
constructively on the establishment of the A/CSM based on the European Draft Statute presented 
to  the  Parties  in  October  2023  with  no  further  delay.  This  obligation  forms  a  part  of  the 
implementation of the Agreement on the Path to Normalisation of Relations, which the Parties are 
expected  to  advance  on,  as  recalled  by  the  European  Council  in  October  2023.  The  status  of 
Serbia-supported structures and services in Kosovo needs to be addressed in line with agreements 
reached in the EU-facilitated Dialogue and Kosovo law and not through uncoordinated measures. 

-  The  works  on  the  Austerlitz  bridge  in  Mitrovica,  as  well  as  additional  assessments  and 
consultations  have  been  completed.    The  position  of  the  EU  remains  that  the  bridge  should  be 
opened. The opening has to be coordinated with security partners. 

-  The  implementation  of  the  2013  and  2015  Energy  agreements  and  2022  Energy  Roadmap 
continued.    Serbia  is  encouraged  to  allocate  cross-border  capacities  to  Kosovo  and  fulfil  its 
longstanding obligation under the Energy Community Treaty. 

-  As  regards  the  technical  Dialogue  agreements  (2011-2012),  some  are  not  or  only  partially 
implemented. Until sustainable solutions are found, both Parties need to remain committed to the 
continued  implementation  of  the  Arrangements  on  Regional  Representation  and  Cooperation, 
which enables Kosovo’s participation in regional forums. Neither Party should block the work of 
regional forums  over  bilateral  disputes.  The  implementation  of  the  Agreements on  cadastre  and 
acceptance  of  university  diplomas  agreements  is  still  pending  due  to  non-implementation  by 
Serbia.  Serbia  also  has  yet  to  address  the  issue  of  re-located  Serbian  administrative  customs 
structures with Kosovo denomination that operate from within Serbia. 

-  On IBM, the Interim Common Crossing-Points (CCPs) between Serbia and Kosovo continue to 
be  operational.  Only  two  of  the  six  permanent  CCPs  have  been  established  (Merdare  and 
Mutivodë/Mutivode). Serbia still has not established permanent CCPs to be hosted by their side 
(Jarinje/Rudnica, Končulj/Dheu i Bardhë and Depce/Muçibabë), which led to a suspension of EU 
funds for this project in July 2018. In addition, Serbia needs to engage constructively to enable the 
construction  of  the  third  CCP  hosted  by  Kosovo  in  the  north  of  Kosovo  at  Tabavije/Bërnjak-
Tabalije/Brnjak. Additional efforts are required from Serbia to close illegal roads and bypasses to 
ensure  exclusive  use  of  official  crossing  points  for  goods  and  persons  entering  into  or  leaving 
Kosovo.  While  a  first  discussion  on  harmonisation  of  phytosanitary  and  veterinary  certificates 
took  place  at  technical  level  on  23  April  2025,  Serbia  should  allow  the  resumption  of  the  EU-
facilitated joint IBM meetings at all levels (local, regional and central). 

-  On  freedom  of  movement,  the  EU  welcomes  the  phasing  out  of  plates  with  Kosovo  cities’ 
denomination issued by Serbia and the mutual recognition of licence plates, which took place in 
December  2023  and  January  2024.  The  full  implementation  of  the  Freedom  of  Movement 
agreements  still  requires  additional  steps.  In  this  context,  Kosovo  is  encouraged  to  offer  an 
effective registration process to all citizens for obtaining personal documents and Kosovo licence 
plates. 

-  Both  Parties  need  to  fully  respect  the  Telecoms  Agreement  and  not  put  its  hitherto  successful 
implementation at risk in any way. The Parties are also expected to engage constructively and find 

66 

 
 
through  the  Dialogue  sustainable  solutions  to  the  remaining  issues  such  as  frequency 
harmonisation and postal services. 

-  The  processing  of  mutual  legal  assistance  (MLA)  requests  has  been  stopped  by  Serbia.  Serbia 
needs  to  resume  the  MLA  processing  immediately  in  line  with  established  and  previously 
respected practice and address also pending requests. Judicial cooperation in criminal matters and 
civil cases is covered by MLA and not police cooperation.   

-  Both  Parties  need  to  respect  the  Arrangements  for  Official  Visits  in  good  faith  and  without 
preconditions. Almost no visits took place during the reporting period. Both Serbia and Kosovo 
need  to  allow  the  visits  of  their  respective  Chief  Negotiator,  other  government  officials  and 
religious  authorities  when  they  are  announced  and  conducted  in  line  with  the  Arrangements, 
which  has  not  always  been  the  case.  Official  visitors  are  expected  to  refrain  from  divisive 
statements or behaviour. 

-  Limited  progress  has  been  made  in  the  implementation  of  the  political  Declaration  on  Missing 
Persons adopted in May 2023 with the 17 December 2024 agreement on the Terms of Reference 
for the Joint Commission to be established as per the Declaration. The Parties are encouraged to 
refrain  from  politisation  of  this  humanitarian  issue  and  start  implementing  the  Declaration 
immediately by holding a first meeting of the Joint Commission. 

Overall,  Serbia  and  Kosovo  have  participated  in  the  Dialogue,  but  they  need  to  demonstrate  more 
serious and constructive commitment to advance the normalisation process. Moving forward, Serbia 
and Kosovo also need to make further substantial efforts to avoid actions that undermine stability and 
rhetoric that is not conducive to dialogue and reconciliation. 

5. ABILITY TO ASSUME THE OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERSHIP  

CLUSTER 2: INTERNAL MARKET 

This cluster covers: free movement of goods (Chapter 1); freedom of movement for workers (Chapter 
2);  right  of  establishment  and  freedom  to  provide  services  (Chapter  3);  free  movement  of  capital 
(Chapter  4);  company  law  (Chapter  6);  intellectual  property  law  (Chapter  7);  competition  policy 
(Chapter 8); financial services (Chapter 9) and consumer and health protection (Chapter 28).  

Chapter 1: Free movement of goods 

The free movement of goods ensures that many products can be traded freely across the EU based on 
common rules and procedures. Where products are governed by national rules, the principle of the 
free movement of goods prevents these rules from creating unjustified barriers to trade. 

General principles 

Serbia  revised  the  strategic  documents  to  implement  EU  acquis  in  accordance  with  Commission’s 
assessment.  Serbia  now  needs  to  adopt  the  revised  strategic  documents  and  ensure  their  timely 
implementation.  Assessment  of  the  legislation  regarding  Serbia’s  application  for  an  Agreement  on 
Conformity Assessment and Acceptance covering low voltage devices, electromagnetic compatibility, 
machinery, and personal protective equipment is ongoing.  

Non-harmonised area 

Serbia  needs  to  timely  implement  its  action  plan  to  ensure  compliance  with  Articles  34-36  of  the 
TFEU. Serbia remains partly aligned with the EU acquis on mutual recognition. 

Harmonised area: quality infrastructure 

Serbia  has  a  developed  quality  infrastructure  system,  overseen  by  the  Ministry  of  Economy  and 
supported by various key entities and market surveillance bodies. However, the quality infrastructure 
institutions need additional budget and human resources. On standardisation, the national legislation 

67 

 
 
 
is  highly  aligned  with  the  relevant  EU  acquis  and  Serbia  has  aligned  with  99,5%of  European 
standards (EN).  

Conformity assessment bodies in Serbia increased to 918 from 889 in 2024. Serbia accepts the CE 
marking  as  a  conformity  mark  and  repealed  most  of  the  required  obligations  regarding  Serbian 
certificates  of  conformity  for  EU  products.  However,  Serbian  certificates  of  conformity  are  still 
required  for  drones,  and  construction  products  including  cement,  steel  for  the  reinforcement  of 
concrete, and specific types of screws. Serbian legislation remains partly aligned with the EU acquis 
on  accreditation  and  metrology.  Serbia  needs  to  align  with  the  latest  EU  acquis  on  market 
surveillance,  adopt  an  adequate  market  surveillance  strategy  and  increase  the  number  of  market 
surveillance staff and IT resources. 

Harmonised area: sectoral legislation 

Serbia needs to fully align its national legislation with the latest EU acquis on machinery. 

There  was  no  progress  on  alignment  with  EU  ‘new  and  global  approach’  or  EU  ‘old  approach’ 
product  acquis.  Serbia  needs  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  radio  equipment.  The  alignment  and 
capacity to implement the EU acquis on vehicle homologation needs to be strengthened.  

On  procedural  measures,  in  August  2025  Serbia  adopted  and  published  a  national  control  list  of 
weapons partly aligned with the EU. 

Chapter 2 - Freedom of movement for workers   

Citizens of one Member State have the right to work in another Member State and must be given the 
same working and social conditions as other workers. 

Regarding  access to the labour market, the legislative framework is partially aligned with the EU 
acquis  as  EU  citizens  are currently  covered  by  rules  for  third-country  nationals.  In  2024,  a  total  of 
17 251 work permits were issued, of which 3% (526) to EU citizens. The working permit procedure 
has been simplified by the new system of single permit for residence and work.  

Serbia’s  National  Employment  Service  has  continued  to  carry  out  preparations  for  joining  EURES 
(European  employment  services)  upon  accession  and  has  started  work  to  align  its  national 
classification  of  occupations  to  the  European  Skills,  Competences,  Qualifications  and  Occupations 
(ESCO). Serbia needs to initiate preparations for joining the European Labour Authority. 

Regarding the coordination of social security systems, bilateral agreements are in place with 20 EU 
Member  States.  No  new  bilateral  agreements  were  concluded  over  the  reporting  period.  Overall, 
legislative and technical conditions for social security institutions to cooperate with their counterparts 
in EU Member States need to be further improved. 

There  were  no  developments  on  the  European  Health  Insurance  Card  (EHIC).  Serbia  currently 
applies agreements on the use of EHIC with nine EU Member States. 

Chapter 3: Right of establishment and freedom to provide services 

EU  natural  and  legal  persons  have  the  right  to  establish  themselves  in  any  Member  State  and  to 
provide  cross-border  services.  For  certain  regulated  professions,  there  are  rules  on  mutual 
recognition of qualifications. EU rules on postal services focus on improving the quality of universal 
service, gradual market opening to competition, and the establishment of an independent regulator. 

In the areas of the right of establishment and freedom to provide cross-border services, the legal 
framework remains to be aligned with the EU acquis. Some progress was made with the adoption of 
the horizontal Law on services in November 2024 which is partially aligned with the EU Services 
Directive.  The  Law  provides  for  the  establishment  of  a  point  of  single  contact  by  the  end  of  2026. 
Sectoral legislation remains to be aligned with the EU Services Directive. The institutional framework 

68 

 
 
needs to be further strengthened. 

In  the  area  of  postal  services,  the  legal  framework  is  aligned  with  the  First  and  Second  Postal 
Services Directives as well as partly with the Third Postal Services Directive. With the new Law on 
postal services entering into force in March 2025, Serbia aligned its legislation with the Regulation 
on  cross-border  parcel  delivery  services.  The  new  postal  law  also  lowered  the  weight  limit  for 
reserved letter items from 50 grams to 20 grams in line with the Postal Services Directive foreseeing 
a  progressive  and  controlled  opening  of  the  postal  market  to  competition.  The  national  regulatory 
authority remains sufficiently staffed to manage ongoing responsibilities related to the postal market. 
Serbia continued to implement its Postal Services Development Strategy 2021-2025 to enable postal 
services  to  adapt  to  the  technological,  digitalisation,  and  e-commerce  developments.  Work  is 
ongoing to prepare a new strategy for postal services 2026-2030.  

In  the  field  of  mutual  recognition  of  professional  qualifications,  national  legislation  is  broadly 
aligned with the EU acquis. Serbia needs to fully align with the Professional Qualifications Directive, 
and the  Proportionality  Test  Directive  as  well as further harmonise  relevant  sectoral legislation.  On 
the mutual recognition of professional qualifications for nurses, veterinary surgeons, pharmacists and 
midwives,  Serbia  ratified  the  CEFTA  agreement  in  September  2024.  Certain  regulated  professions 
still have nationality requirement for access. A preliminary list of 50 regulated professions is pending 
adoption but does not contain all seven sectoral professions which benefit from automatic recognition 
under the Directive.  

Chapter 4: Free movement of capital 

In the EU, capital and investments must be able to move without restrictions, with common rules for 
cross-border payments. Banks and other economic operators apply certain rules to support the fight 
against money laundering and terrorist financing. 

In the field of capital movements and payments, the institutional framework is in place. The legal 
framework is partially aligned with the EU acquis. Certain restrictions on capital movements remain 
on short-term foreign credit and deposit operations, on transactions with financial derivatives, on the 
Insurance  Law  and  the  Law  on  Voluntary  Pension  Funds.  Administrative  burden  for  entities 
engaging  in  foreign  exchange  operations  remain  significant.  EU  citizens  still  do  not  have  equal 
treatment regarding the acquisition of real estate and agricultural land, which is not compliant with 
Serbia’s obligations under the SAA. 

On payment services, the legal framework was further aligned with the EU acquis. Amendments to 
the Law on payment services aligning with the Payment Services Directive (PSD2) started applying 
as  of  May  2025  and  the  related  implementing  legislation  was  adopted  in  December  2024.  Having 
undertaken the necessary alignment with the acquis, Serbia joined the geographic scope of the Single 
Euro Payments Area (SEPA) payment schemes in May 2025. Nevertheless, Serbia should continue 
its  efforts  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  in  the  area  of  payment  services,  including  with  the  Cross-
Border Payments Regulation.  The Law on multilateral interchange fees and special operating rules 
for  card-based  payment  transactions  remains  to  be  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis  and  the  SAA 
obligations (See Chapter 8 – Competition policy). 

On  the  fight  against  money  laundering  and  terrorism  financing  (AML/CFT),  the  legal 
framework  is  in  place  and  to  a  large  extent  aligned  with  the  current  EU  acquis.  In  the  reporting 
period,  Serbia  further  aligned  the  AML/CFT  Law  and  the  Law  on  central  records  of  beneficial 
owners with the fifth EU anti-money laundering Directive and Regulation 2023/1113 on transfer of 
funds.  

Following the adoption of the updated national risk assessment for AML/CFT in December 2024, the 
Strategic  Operational  Plan  for  the  2025-2029  period  was  adopted  in  April  2025.  In  May  2025, 
MONEYVAL conducted an evaluation visit for the sixth round of mutual evaluation in Serbia. 

69 

 
 
The  institutional  framework  is  in  place  but  need  to  be  further  strengthened,  including  through 
increased  capacity  in  the  Administration  for  Prevention  of  Money  Laundering  (APML).  In  2024, 
2 014  suspicious  transactions  were  reported  to  the  APML,  including  1 161  from  the  banks  and  by 
September 2025, 1 474 suspicious transactions had been reported, including 944 from banks.  

Chapter 6: Company law 

The EU has common rules on the formation, registration and disclosure requirements of a company, 
with complementary rules for accounting and financial reporting, and statutory audit. 

As  regards  company  law  and  corporate  governance,  Serbia’s  legislation  has  a  good  level  of 
alignment  with the  EU  acquis.  The  adoption  of a  new  Law  on  takeovers  of joint-stock  companies 
and  related  legislation  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  company  takeover  bids  is  pending.  Further 
alignment is needed with the directives on the use of digital tools and on cross-border conversions, 
mergers and divisions. Serbia’s Corporate Governance Code is based on EU best practice and OECD 
principles. Company information in the business register is stored electronically in a database and is 
technically  ready  to  interconnect  with  the  Business  Registers  Interconnection  System  upon  EU 
accession. 

Regarding  company  reporting,  Serbia  has  yet  to  align  with  the  EU  acquis  on  corporate 
sustainability  reporting,  on  the  disclosure  of  income  tax  information  by  certain  undertakings  and 
branches, and regarding the adjustments of the size criteria for micro, small, medium-sized and large 
undertakings or groups, bearing in mind the ongoing developments with the EU acquis. The Law on 
capital market is largely aligned with the EU Transparency Directive for listed companies.  

Chapter 7: Intellectual property law 

The  EU  has  to  a  large  extent  harmonised  rules  for  the  legal  protection  and  enforcement  of 
intellectual  property  rights  (IPR),  covering  notably  patents,  biotechnological  inventions  and 
pharmaceuticals,  including  supplementary  protection  certificates  (SPCs),  trademarks,  designs, 
geographical indications (GIs), including craft and industrial GIs, as well as copyright and related 
rights.  

The  Law  on  copyright  and  related  rights  remains  to  be  further  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis,  in 
particular with Directives 2014/26 on collective rights management, 2012/28 on orphan  works and 
2017/1564 on certain permitted uses of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright 
and  related  rights  for  the  benefit  of  persons  who  are  blind,  visually  impaired  or  otherwise  print-
disabled.  Work  on  the  alignment  of  Serbia’s  legal  framework  with  Directive  2019/789  on  the 
exercise  of  copyright  and  related  rights  applicable  to  certain  online  transmissions  of  broadcasting 
organisations  and  retransmissions  of  television  and  radio  programmes,  and  Directive  2019/790  on 
copyrights and related rights in the Digital Single Market is ongoing.   

On industrial property rights, the legislative framework is generally in line with the relevant EU 
acquis.  The  Intellectual  Property  Office  is  relatively  well  staffed  and  efficient  in  registering 
trademarks. In 2024, it received 2 600 applications for trademark protection and 273 for industrial 
designs. It registered 1 935 trademarks and 273 industrial designs during the same period. In 2024, 
there were 1 304 validated European patents while 21 national patents were granted. 

On  enforcement,  the  amount  of  counterfeit  and  pirated  goods  confiscated  and  destroyed  by  the 
Market  Inspectorate  increased  significantly  from  739 750  in  2023  to  1 215 425  in  2024,  while  the 
number of items detained by the Customs Administration dropped from 290 866 in 2023 to 103 894 
in 2024. A new programme on the development of intellectual property remains to be adopted. Work 
to further align with the Directive on the enforcement of IPR is ongoing.  The Intellectual Property 
Office  set  up  an  enforcement  unit  in  charge  of  coordinating  the  work  of  the  IPR  enforcement 
coordination  body.  However,  the  electronic  platform  for  information  exchange  among  IPR 

70 

 
 
enforcement institutions remains to be launched. Due to inadequate specialisation and the increasing 
number of new cases, the capacity of the judiciary to handle IPR cases remains limited  

Chapter 8 - Competition policy  

EU  rules  protect  free  competition.  They  include  antitrust  rules  against  restrictive  agreements 
between  companies  and  abuse  of  a  dominant  position,  and  rules  on  concentrations  between 
companies which would significantly impede effective competition. EU rules also set out a system of 
State aid control. Governments are only allowed to grant State aid if restrictive conditions are met, 
with a view to preventing distortion of competition. 

Antitrust and mergers 

The legislative framework is broadly in line with Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and related provisions 
of  the  SAA  but  needs  to  be  fully  aligned  with  EU  guidelines  and  communications.  Three  block 
exemption regulations remain to be adopted. No progress was made on aligning Article 9 of the Law 
on multilateral interchange fees and special operating rules for card-based payment transactions with 
the EU acquis and the SAA. 

Regarding the institutional framework, the Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) has a 
reputation as an operationally independent institution. The level of fines in 2024 decreased from over 
EUR 3 million in 2023 to around EUR 0.5 million. Work should continue on sustaining a credible 
enforcement record, decisions should be systematically published, and the transparency of the CPC’s 
work should increase. 

The  enforcement  capacity  of  the  CPC  is  relatively  adequate.  Consulting  the  CPC  on  all  relevant 
legislation should continue  and its  opinions  should  be  systematically  taken into  account.  The  CPC 
should  further  step  up  advocacy  activities.  The  capacity  and  specialisation  of  the  judiciary  for 
complex competition cases needs to be improved significantly. 

State aid 

Regarding the legislative framework on State aid, the Law on State aid control is broadly in line 
with  the  EU  acquis  and  the  relevant  provisions  of  the  SAA.  To  further  align  implementing 
legislation  with  the  EU  acquis,  three  new  decrees  were  adopted  in  February  2025.  However, 
additional  implementing  legislation  needs  to  be  further  aligned.  Existing  State  aid  schemes,  most 
notably  the  fiscal  State  aid  schemes  established  by  the  laws  on  corporate  income  tax,  on  personal 
income  tax  and  on  free  zones,  are  not  yet  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  In  line  with  its  SAA 
obligations,  Serbia  has  finalised  an  inventory  of  State  aid  schemes.  However,  a  timebound  action 
plan for alignment of incompatible schemes remains to be adopted by the government. Furthermore, 
the regional aid map still has to be drafted. 

On  the  institutional  framework,  the  operational  independence  of  the  Commission  for  State  Aid 
Control  (CSAC)  needs  to  be  demonstrated  by  establishing  a  transparent  track  record  that  shows 
consistent and satisfactory implementation of the law.  

CSAC’s enforcement capacity in terms of staffing should be further strengthened. 

The implementation of the Law on State aid control should be further improved. In particular, the 
notification  and  the  standstill  obligations  need  to  be  respected  systematically.  State  aid  is 
occasionally  provided  to  economic  operators,  particularly foreign investors,  without prior  approval 
by  CSAC.  It  is  important  that  Serbia  ensures  that  all  State  aid  grantors,  including  municipalities, 
notify State aid ex ante. CSAC’s annual reports on State aid granted should be adopted timely by the 
government.  Advocacy  activities  among  aid-granting  authorities  need  to  continue  as  there  is  a 
systematic lack of awareness of State aid rules. 

On liberalisation, a new decree on de minimis aid for the provision of services of general economic 

71 

 
 
interest was adopted in February 2025, while rules on public service compensation to undertakings 
for the provision of services of general economic interest need to be further aligned. Enforcement of 
competition rules for public companies needs to be intensified. There is no evidence of the existence 
of commercial monopolies within the meaning of Article 37 TFEU. 

Chapter 9 - Financial services   

EU rules aim at ensuring fair competition among financial institutions and the stability and integrity 
of financial  markets,  namely in  the field  of  banking,  insurance, supplementary  pensions,  investment 
services  and  securities.  They  include  rules  on  authorisation,  operation  and  supervision  of  these 
institutions. 

In  the  area  of  banking  and  financial  conglomerates,  the  institutional  and  legal  framework  is  in 
place,  with  a  good  level  of  alignment  with  the  previous  versions  of  the  Capital  Requirements 
Regulation and the Capital Requirements Directive (CRR/CRD). Amendments to the Law on banks 
were adopted in March 2025 and will apply as of October 2025, aiming to further align with CRR II 
and  CRD  V.  Work needs  to  continue  to align  with the  latest  versions of the  CRR/CRD.  Regarding 
bank resolution, the amended Law on banks created a dedicated resolution fund to be financed with 
contributions  from  banks,  as  well  as  important  elements  of  the  Bank  Recovery  and  Resolution 
Directive II (BRRD II), such as: rules on the calculation of the minimum requirements for own funds 
and  eligible  liabilities  (MREL)  as  percentage  of  total  risk  exposure  amount  and  total  exposure 
measure;  the  concepts  of  resolution  entity  and  resolution  group;  option  to  impose  a  pre-resolution 
moratorium  in  addition  to  the  possibility  of  already  existing  post-resolution  moratorium.  However, 
full alignment with the revised version of the BRRD is yet to be achieved. NBS also progressed on the 
operationalisation  of  the  resolution  framework  by  adopting  several  implementing  legislation  to  the 
Law on banks. As regards protection of deposits, Serbia needs to further align its national legislation 
with the EU Deposit Guarantee Scheme Directive.  

Regarding insurance and occupational pensions, a new Law on compulsory traffic insurance is yet 
to be prepared. Preparations for alignment with the Solvency II Directive are ongoing. Alignment is 
still  to  be  completed  as  regards  the  Directive  on  the  activities  and  supervision  of  institutions  for 
occupational retirement provision. 

In the area of financial market infrastructure, Serbia remains partially aligned with the EU acquis 
and  should  continue  alignment  efforts.  Serbia  is  implementing  its  Capital  market  development 
strategy  for  2021-2026,  focusing  on  completing  the implementing  legislation  of  the  Law  on  capital 
market. 

On  securities  markets  and  investment  services,  Serbia  should  further  align  with  the  EU  acquis. 
Despite  amendments  to  the  Law  on  open-ended  investment  funds  and  the  Law  on  alternative 
investment funds adopted in December 2024, further work is needed to fully align with the Directive 
on  alternative  investment  fund  managers  (AIFMD)  and  the  Directive  relating  to  undertakings  for 
collective investment in transferable securities (UCITS). 

There were no developments on sustainable and digital finance in the reporting period.  

Chapter 28 - Consumer and health protection  

EU  rules  protect  consumers’  economic  interests  and  in  relation  to  product  safety,  dangerous 
imitations  and  liability  for  defective  products.  The  EU  also  ensures  high  common  standards  for 
tobacco  control,  blood,  tissues,  cells  and  organs,  as  well  as  human  and  veterinary  medicinal 
products.  The  EU  also  has  rules  for  upholding  patients’  rights  in  cross-border  healthcare  and  in 
preparing  for  and  responding  to  serious  cross-border  health  threats  including  communicable 
diseases. 

Consumer protection 

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On horizontal aspects, Serbia’s legislation remains largely aligned with the EU consumer protection 
framework, however the horizontal Law on consumer protection requires further alignment.  

On non-safety issues, the number of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) bodies increased to 71, and 
the number of solved cases in ADRs proceedings amounted to 3993 in 2024 and 1869 in 2025. The 
financial stability of ADRs needs to be ensured. In its capacity as an ADR body in charge of financial 
institutions,  in  2025  the  National  Bank  of  Serbia  (NBS)  resolved  813  complaints  related  to  banks. 
Serbia adopted the new Law on the protection of financial service consumers which aims for further 
alignment. 

On product safety, Serbia’s legislation needs to be further aligned with the EU acquis, and market 
surveillance capacities need to be strengthened (see also Chapter 1). 

Public health 

On public health, Serbia needs to ensure the sustainability of the public health insurance fund, full 
compliance with EU health indicators, implement the national plan for human resources in the health 
sector,  and  adopt  secondary  legislation  to  improve  the  organisation  of  emergency  services.  On 
eHealth,  the  Law  on  health  records  and  documentation  needs  to  be  aligned  with  the  EU  data 
protection acquis, standards and principles.  

There was no progress on alignment with the EU acquis on tobacco control. Serbia needs to intensify 
controls  to ensure  effective  implementation  of  tobacco  control measures.  Surveillance  and response 
capacities  for  serious  cross-border  health  threats,  including  communicable  diseases,  remain 
limited  and  in  need  of  modernisation.  Serbia  needs  to  increase  awareness  of  the  necessity  of 
childhood  vaccination.  There  was  no  progress  on  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  blood,  tissues, 
cells  and  organs,  patients’  rights  in  cross-border  healthcare,  on  human  and  veterinary 
medicinal  products,  on  medical  devices,  or  on  health  technology  assessment.  Serbia  needs  to 
implement stricter controls on prescriptions of antimicrobials for human and veterinary use to bolster 
its efforts on antimicrobial resistance.  

Community-based  mental  health  services  remain  underdeveloped,  with  low  accessibility,  and  the 
2019-2026  mental  health  protection  programme  remains  to  be  implemented.  There  were  no  new 
developments on cancer, on nutrition and physical activity, on drug abuse prevention and harm 
reduction, or on health inequalities. Appropriate funding is needed to ensure implementation of the 
national programme on sexual  and reproductive health. There is a need for humane and adequate 
treatment in gynaecological and obstetric facilities. 

On anti-corruption, the Law on medicinal products and medical devices and its by-laws contain anti-
corruption provisions, though aspects on the promotion or advertising of medicinal products need to 
be improved. 

CLUSTER 3: COMPETITIVENESS AND INCLUSIVE GROWTH 

This cluster covers: digital transformation and media (Chapter 10); taxation (Chapter 16); economic 
and  monetary  policy  (Chapter  17);  social  policy  and  employment  (Chapter  19);  industrial  policy 
(Chapter  20);  science  and  research  (Chapter  25);  education  and  culture  (Chapter  26);  and  customs 
union (Chapter 29). 

Chapter 10: Digital transformation and media 

The  EU  supports  the  proper  functioning  of  the  internal  market  for  electronic  communications, 
electronic commerce and audiovisual services. The rules protect consumers and support the universal 
availability of modern services. 

On overall strategy, Serbia’s digital transformation is guided by EU alignment and public investment 
with a focus on innovation. Serbia joined the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network on 1 

73 

 
 
January 2025, and participates in the Digital Europe Programme, EU Digital Agenda for the Western 
Balkans, EU4Digital initiative and Wifi4WB. 

Regarding  electronic  communications,  the  Law  on  electronic  communication  is  partially  aligned 
with  the  European  Electronic  Communications  Code.  Full  adoption  of  secondary  legislation  is  still 
needed.  The  full  operational  and  financial  independence  of  the  Regulatory  Agency  for  Electronic 
Communications  and  Postal  Services  (RATEL)  also  remains  to  be  ensured,  and  its  administrative 
capacity needs to be improved. 

The 112 European emergency number calling system has not yet been fully implemented according to 
EU standards.  

The  Law  on  broadband  infrastructure,  which  aims  to  align  with  the  Gigabit  Infrastructure  Act, 
remains to be adopted.  

Serbia initiated the 5G frequency auction, having previously adopted the implementing legislation on 
minimum conditions for issuing individual operator licences for spectrum use for the 5G frequency 
auction.  Serbia  transposed  the  EU  5G  Cybersecurity  Toolbox,  which  it  needs  to  fully  implement, 
including the assessment of suppliers’ risk profiles and putting in place appropriate restrictions and/or 
exclusions  for  high-risk  suppliers.  Regarding  regional  integration,  Serbia  has  not  yet  signed  the 
Memorandum  of  Understanding  on  a  5G  roadmap  for  digital  transformation.  There  were  no 
developments regarding competitive safeguards, while the cable operators’ market landscape further 
concentrated, and media content market share changed.  

Regarding  digital  services,  Serbia  continued  upgrading  the  government  service  information  portal 
and  introduced  new  e-gov services.  Serbia  needs  to  align  with  the  Digital  Services  Act  and  Digital 
Markets  Act.  Serbia  also  needs  to  fully  align  with  the  EU’s  Open  Data  Directive  on  the  reuse  of 
public sector information.  

Regarding  digital  trust  and  cybersecurity,  further  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  the  European 
Digital  Identity  Framework  Regulation  is  needed  in  preparation  for  the  roll-out  of  an  interoperable 
national  digital  wallet.  Serbia  needs  to  align  with  the  Network  and  Information  Security  2  (NIS2) 
Directive. 

On media, Parliament failed to timely launch the process to elect a new REM Council by 4 November 
2024 as provided for by the law. As a consequence, the REM Council mandate expired and caused a 
regulatory vacuum. The process was launched on 25 November 2024 but not completed following a 
number of reported irregularities. A new call for REM Council was launched in May 2025 – months 
after  the  legal  deadline.  Several  candidates  and  proposers  also  initially  withdrew  at  the  start  of  the 
second  call.  However,  with  international  facilitation,  the  process  resumed  and  advanced  with  the 
shortlisting of candidates.  

In  June  2025,  Serbia  adopted  amendments  to  the  Law  on  electronic  media,  the  Law  on  public 
information and media, and the Law on public broadcasters. Several media associations were critical 
of the process as it was not sufficiently inclusive nor transparent. Alignment with the European Media 
Freedom Act is needed. Serbia also needs to amend the Law on advertising to ensure alignment with 
the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. The competition for the allocation of the fifth frequency 
for national broadcasting, launched in 2022 remains incomplete without a justified reason.  

On  semiconductors,  Serbia  does  not  yet  align  with  the  EU  Chips  Act.  Regarding  artificial 
intelligence, Serbia needs to align with the EU AI Act and create the necessary governance structures. 
In  2025,  Serbia  became  co-chair  of  the  OECD-backed  Global  Partnership  on  AI  (GPAI).  Serbia 
adopted a strategy for the development of artificial intelligence for 2025-2030. 

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Chapter 16 - Taxation   

EU  rules  on  taxation  cover  value-added  tax,  excise  duties  and  aspects  of  corporate  taxation.  They 
also cover cooperation between tax administrations, including the exchange of information to prevent 
tax evasion. 

In the area of taxation, the institutional framework is in place. 

Regarding indirect taxation, the legislative framework is partially aligned with the EU  acquis. The 
Law on Value Added Tax was amended to introduce preliminary tax returns for VAT, modernising 
the system. Despite gradual increases, the Law on excise duties has yet to be fully aligned with the 
EU acquis. While the 2024 amendment aligned the excise duties on tobacco with the EU minima, the 
application  of  excise  duty  on  natural  gas  was  further  postponed  until  1 January  2026  for  its  use  as 
propellant  and until accession for heating  purposes. An  effective  system to  control  and  monitor  the 
movement of excisable products is not yet fully in place, although improvements were made to the e-
excise system for cigarettes and non-burning tobacco. 

Regarding  direct  taxation,  the  legislative  framework  is  partially  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  2024 
amendments  to  the  Law  on  tax  procedures  and  tax  administration  created  a  legal  basis  for  the 
establishment  of  a  comprehensive  tax  registry  of  natural  persons,  which  will  improve  enforcement 
efforts.  

Serbia cooperates with the EU through an enhanced dialogue on tax good governance, on the basis of 
the  EU  list  of  non-cooperative  jurisdictions  for  tax  purposes.  The  country  remains  committed  to 
implement the Inclusive Framework on Base Erosion and Profit Shifting minimum standards. 

Regarding  administrative  cooperation  and  mutual  assistance,  the  institutional  and  legislative 
framework  is  largely  in  place  and  aligned.  Serbia  signed  the  Multilateral  Competent  Authority 
Agreement  on  the  exchange  of  country-by-country  reports  in  March  2025  but  is  yet  to  implement 
automatic exchange of financial account information. 

Regarding  operational  capacity  and  computerisation,  the  institutional  framework  needs  to  be 
strengthened. The capacities of the Tax Administration, particularly on enforcement, need improving. 
The  procurement  of  the  IT  system  was  delayed,  while  efforts  to  meet  the  requirement  for  the 
exchange of information on VAT (VIES system) are underway.  

Chapter 17 - Economic and monetary policy   

EU  rules  require  the  independence  of  central  banks  and  prohibit  them  from  directly  financing  the 
public sector. Member States coordinate their economic policies and are  subject to fiscal, economic 
and financial surveillance. 

On  monetary  policy,  the  institutional  framework  is  in  place  and  the  legal  framework  is  largely 
aligned with the EU acquis. In March 2025, Serbia further aligned the Law on the NBS with the EU 
acquis. However, to ensure the full functional, institutional, personal, and financial independence of 
the  NBS  additional  amendments  are  still  needed,  including  amendments  to  the  Law  on  public 
property.  Regarding  economic  policy,  the  legal  framework  is  partially  aligned with  the  EU  acquis. 
The 2025 budget listed for the first time a number of capital investment projects planned over a three-
year horizon and applied a green tagging methodology. However, the introduction of a presentation of 
tax expenditures has been further postponed. Further alignment with the Directive on requirements for 
budgetary  frameworks  is  needed  through  amendments  to  the  Law  on  the  budget  system  regarding 
macroeconomic and fiscal projections, a 3-year expenditure perspective, transparency, and accounting 
and  statistical  reporting.  Furthermore,  the  sizeable  contingency  reserve,  which  has  in  recent  years 
been used to facilitate ad hoc spending measures, lacks clearly defined restrictions for its usage and 
would benefit from improved regular reporting. 

The  budget  procedure,  including  for  amending  budgets,  needs  to  be  systematically  respected  and 
public  participation  in  the  budget  process  and  budget  oversight  by  the  legislature  needs  to  be 

75 

 
 
improved. In recent years, in-year ad hoc spending measures have been a recurrent feature of budget 
execution  which should  be  avoided.  The  institutional  framework  is  well-developed,  but  programme 
budgeting needs to be strengthened, and administrative and IT capacity bolstered.  

The government submitted its 2025-2027 Economic Reform Programme (ERP) on 15 January 2025. 
As in previous years, its analytical diagnostics were solid. Core reforms under the ERP continue from 
the previous programme and are in line with the Reform Agenda. Implementation of policy guidance 
set out in the conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue of May 2024 has been partial. 

Chapter 19 - Social policy and employment   

EU  rules  in  the  social  field  include  minimum  requirements  for  labour  law,  equality  and  non-
discrimination, health and safety at work. They also promote social inclusion and social protection, 
and social dialogue at EU level. 

In  the  field  of  labour  law,  the  2014  law  remains  only  partially  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  The 
number  of  labour  inspectors  continues  to  be  below  the  target  of  the  Chapter  19  action  plan.  The 
number of child labour cases identified in 2024 by the Labour Inspectorate (0 cases) and the Republic 
Institute  for  Social  Welfare  (23  cases) is  under-reported,  compared  with  the  National  Child  Labour 
Survey. Serbia has not yet addressed the recommendations of the Council of Europe Group of Experts 
on  Action against  Trafficking in  Human  Beings  (GRETA)  which  called for proactive and thorough 
investigation of allegations of trafficking for labour exploitation involving foreign workers. The law 
on  inspection  oversight  still  does  not  comply  with  the  International  Labour  Organisation  (ILO)’s 
Convention  requiring  that  labour  inspectors  be  empowered  to  enter  workplaces  freely  and  without 
giving notice. 

In the area of health and safety at work, the legislation of 2023 remains partially aligned with the 
EU acquis. Serbia continued to align its secondary legislation with the EU acquis. A new strategy and 
action plan in this area were adopted in October 2024. In 2024, labour inspectors carried out 1,025 
inspections regarding fatal, serious with fatal outcome, serious, collective and minor injuries at work. 
The number of reported workplace fatalities increased in 2024 (59 cases, from 42 in 2023), with most 
cases occurring in construction and industry. 

Social  dialogue,  and  the  involvement  of  social  partners  in  policy  developments  relevant  to  them, 
remain  weak.  The  last  period  marked  by  protests  and  work  stoppages  in  the  education  sector 
confirmed  the  need  to  amend  the  law  on  strike  without  further  delay  as  the  current  law  of  1996  is 
outdated and not in line with ILO standards. In this context, the salaries of teachers participating in 
protests were severely reduced. No new sectoral collective bargaining agreements were signed. Some 
complaints brought up to ILO about the infringement of trade union and workers’ rights have not been 
resolved yet.  

On employment policy, budget allocations for active labour market policies decreased in 2025 and 
remain  below  0.1%  of  GDP  despite  the  employment  action  plan’s  target  of  0.16%.  The  public 
employment  advisers  to  job  seekers  ratio  is  too  low.  A  Youth  Guarantee  pilot  scheme  has  been 
implemented  in  three  employment  offices  since  January  2024.  The  scheme  is  expected  to  reduce 
youth  unemployment  (23%  in  2024  for  the  15-24  population)  and  NEET  rate  (14.9%  in  2024  for 
people  aged  15-29)  (see  also  Chapter  26  –  Education  and  culture).  Regarding  labour  force 
participation and unemployment rate see the statistical annex and the section on the functioning of 
the labour market under 2.3 Economic criteria. 

In the area of social protection and inclusion, in 2024, according to the latest survey on income and 
living conditions (SILC), the at-risk-of-poverty or social exclusion rate amounted to 24.3%, compared 
to 27.2% in 2023. Public expenditure on social protection and budget transfers as a share of GDP are 
still low. Serbia needs to address the ECRI’s recommendations of June 2024 on the decision-making 
process of the Social Card and its impact on Roma and other vulnerable individuals. The ECRI called 
for a review involving equality bodies and CSOs, with ‘particular emphasis on ensuring transparency 

76 

 
 
[…], 

remedies 
a 

in the operation of algorithmic 
developing 
systems 
and 
effective 
establishing 
powerful 
oversight  mechanism’.  There 
is  a  need 
legislative 
for 
adjustments  and  improvement 
of  the  coverage  and  adequacy 
of  financial  social  assistance. 
A  new  strategy  for  social 
protection  and  amendments  to 
the  law  on  social  welfare  are 
seriously delayed. The Law on 
Financial  Support  to  Family  with  Children  was  amended  in  September  2024  to  increase  several 
allowances but the recommendation of 2022 of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural 
Rights  to  remove  discriminatory  conditions  was  not  addressed.  Means-tested  social  assistance 
programmes  do  not  sufficiently  reach  the  poor,  a  large  share  of  children  living  in  poverty  are  not 
covered  by  any  benefit,  and  the  social  protection  system  remains  understaffed.  The  system  of 
earmarked  transfers  to  the  local  level  is  still  not  implemented  systematically  or  transparently. 
Following  an  invitation  by  the  Commission,  Serbia  nominated  a  national  Contact  Point  for  the 
European  Child  Guarantee.  In  the  area  of  de-institutionalisation,  an  action  plan  to  implement  the 
related strategy is seriously delayed.  

In the field of non-discrimination in employment and social policy, Serbia still needs to fully align 
with  the  relevant  EU  acquis,  including  the  Employment  Equality  Directive,  the  Racial  Equality 
Directive,  the  Directive  and  Council  Directive  on  standards  for  equality  bodies.  Most  complaints 
received  by  Serbia’s  Commissioner  for  the  Protection  of  Equality  are  related  to  the  area  of 
employment (see also Chapter 23 – Judiciary and fundamental rights). 

In the area of equal opportunities for women and men in employment and social policy, Serbia 
still needs to fully align with the EU acquis, including the Directive on Work-Life Balance, the Pay 
Transparency Directive and the Women on Boards Directive.  The position of women on the labour 
market in Serbia remains unfavourable compared with the position of men. The employment rate for 
men (20-64 year olds) is 13.9 percentage points higher and their activity rate is 13.2 percentage points 
higher than  those  for  women.  The  gender  pay  gap is 14.5%.  The  suspension  of the gender  equality 
law by the Constitutional Court has suspended the legal obligation for employers to report on gender 
equality in the workplace, including on the principle of equal pay for equal work. The gender pension 
gap stands at 16.8%. Although the legislation grants access to parental leave to both parents, gender-
based  stereotypical  preconceptions  persist  about  childcare  and  household  work  being  a  woman’s 
responsibility.  The  lack  of  State  services  for  childcare  in  rural  areas  also  increases  the  amount  of 
unpaid household work for women. Maternity, paternity and parental leave rights in the legislation are 
not  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  Sustained  efforts  are  needed  to  ensure  that  anti-discrimination 
commitments translate into consistent practice, particularly in under-resourced municipalities. 

There  were  no  developments  as  regards  preparations  for  the  European  Social  Fund  (see  also 
Chapter 22 - Regional policy and coordination of structural instruments). 

Chapter 20 - Enterprise and industrial policy  

EU  industrial  policy  strengthens  competitiveness,  facilitates  structural  change  and  encourages  a 
business-friendly environment that stimulates small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

77 

 
 
 
Concerning  industrial  policy,  the  institutional  and  policy  framework  is  largely  in  place.  Serbia 
continues  to  implement  its  strategy  for  industrial  development  2021-2030  and  the  accompanying 
2024-2025 action plan. Serbia should timely adopt a new action plan for the subsequent period. 

Serbia continues to use budgetary subsidies for newly created jobs as an incentive for foreign direct 
investments. This approach is not consistent with its industrial policy goal of privileging value added 
over labour cost, and with the continued need to better integrate SMEs into domestic and international 
supply chains. 

Regarding  enterprise  policy,  reforms  concerning  the  ownership  and  management  of  state-owned 
enterprises  (SOEs)  are  advancing  primarily  through  the  implementation  of  the  SOE  strategy  and 
related  action  plans,  and  the  new  SOE  law  which  entered  into  force  in  September  2024.  Proper 
implementation  of  the  new  law  is  dependent  on  11  pieces  of  implementing  legislation,  of  which  5 
have  been  timely  adopted.  Serbia  continues  to  make  progress  on  its  privatisation  and  restructuring 
process of over 500 SOEs, in which 41 companies remain.  

Serbia’s SME development strategy for 2023-2027 is being implemented. However, Serbia has yet to 
adopt an action plan covering 2025-2027.  

Serbia should improve the predictability of the business environment, with an emphasis on ensuring 
that  all  relevant  legislation  undergoes  timely  and  comprehensive  public  consultations,  including 
through effective communication of the e-consultation portal. 

Serbia  has  a  range  of  enterprise  and  industrial  policy  instruments  in  place,  including  grants, 
subsidies,  tax  exemptions  and  guarantee  schemes.  The  budget  for  measures  supporting  SMEs  and 
entrepreneurship is growing but remains modest. Serbia participates in the SME Pillar of the Single 
Market Programme.  

On combating late payments in commercial transactions, Serbia’s legislation is largely aligned with 
the  EU  acquis.  However,  Serbia  continues  not  to  be  aligned  with  its  rules  on  payments,  indemnity 
interest rates, expedited recovery procedures and compensation. 

On  sectoral  policies,  Serbia  has  a  number  of  sector-specific  strategies  including  in  the  areas  of 
energy,  transport,  education,  media,  artificial  intelligence  (see  also  chapters  10  on  Digital 
transformation  and  media,  14  on  Transport,  15  on  Energy  and  26  on  Education  and  culture)  and 
tourism. In addition, Serbia is implementing its smart specialisation strategy (see also Chapter 25 on 
Science and research). 

Chapter 25 - Science and research   

The EU provides significant support to research and innovation. All Member States can participate in 
the  EU’s  research  and  innovation  programmes  and  benefit  from  them,  especially  where  there  is 
scientific excellence and solid investment in research and innovation. 

On research and innovation policy, Serbia is implementing its 2021-2025 strategy for development 
of  a  start-up  ecosystem.  Work  is  ongoing  to  align  with  the  European  Research  Infrastructure 
Consortium regulation.  

During the reporting period, worrying developments took place impacting the institutional autonomy 
of research and academic institutions and academic freedom. In March 2025, the government adopted 
two  Decrees  restricting  the  amount  of  time  academic  staff  can  spend  on  research  activities.  Their 
implementation resulted in a decrease in the salaries of teaching researchers to only 12.5% during the 
interruption  of  the  academic  year  and  retroactive  payments  of  full  salaries  conditioned  to  the 
completion of the 2024/2025 academic year. These measures also undermine the eligibility of Serbian 
researchers to apply to certain European Research Council (ERC) grants and limit the effectiveness of 
the cooperation between academia and the private sector as part of the Quadruple Helix. 

78 

 
 
In  July  and  August,  central  and  local  authorities  dismissed  board  members  of  two  major  research 
institutes,  and  the  management  in  one  of  the  two,  and  nominated  new  members.  Some  of  these 
decisions are challenged before the courts for allegedly not following the requirements set in the Law 
on Science and Research. 

The  Science  Fund  is  operational  as  a  funding  mechanism  with  an  increasing  number  of  13  funded 
programmes under a total budget of EUR 106.5 million. 

The national level of investment in research remains low at 0.88% of GDP in 2023 (0.92% in 2022). 
Serbia  is  in the fifth  year of  implementing its  Smart Specialisation  strategy,  with  the second  action 
plan extending to the end of 2025.  

Concerning innovation measures, the Innovation Fund, four science and technology parks and 14 new 
incubators continue to be active with increasing financial contributions. While the Innovation Fund’s 
Katapult accelerator and Serbia Ventures Programme (with investments of up to EUR 5 million) have 
positive  impact  on  the  innovation  ecosystem,  the  number  of  validated  European  patents  is  modest. 
Further  integration  into  the  new  European  Innovation  Agenda  and  activities  of  the  European 
Innovation Council is strongly encouraged. 

Serbia is an Emerging Innovator in the European innovation scoreboard, with a score of 51.5 in 2025 
–  above  the  average  of  the  emerging  innovators  group.  The  performance  gap  with  the  EU  is 
nonetheless increasing. Private sector research and innovation expenditure is increasing. 

As  regards  the  EU  Framework  programmes,  Serbia  takes  an  active  part  in  Horizon  Europe  as  an 
associated  country.  Serbia  is  also  successfully  participating  in  EUREKA  and  the  European 
Cooperation in Science and Technology. 

Chapter 26 - Education and culture  

The  EU  supports  cooperation  in  education  and  culture  through  funding  programmes  and  the 
coordination of Member State policies through the ‘open method of coordination’. The EU and the 
Member States must also prevent discrimination and ensure quality education for children of migrant 
workers, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

In the area of education and training, the policy framework and the institutional framework are in 
place. There is a certain vulnerability for corruption in the sector as a whole and for higher education 
in  particular.  Serbia  continued  to  implement  its  2030  education  strategy  and  its  action  plan  with 
delays.  

There  was  a  discontinuity in  the  delivery  of education  on  all  levels,  especially in  higher  education, 
throughout the 2024/2025 school year due to students’ protests and blockades which were joined by 
education  staff.  Education  delivery  resumed  gradually  according  to  a  new  calendar  to  mitigate  the 
impact of missed classes. During protests, cases of attacks and threats against students and professors 
were recorded. 

At the beginning of the 2025/2026 school year, a significant number of principals were dismissed and 
temporary contracts of some teachers in primary and secondary education were not renewed. Serbia’s 
Commissioner for the Protection of Equality launched proceedings over complaints of discrimination 
based  on  political  or  union  activity.  This  raises  concern  in  terms  of  erosion  academic  freedom, 
institutional autonomy and the quality of education in the context of persistent teacher shortages. 

In March 2025, Serbia adopted amendments to four framework laws concerning primary, secondary 
and  higher  education.  The  draft  amendments  to  the  Law  on  Textbooks  adopted  by  the  government 
which would give exclusive rights to a public publisher for producing textbooks for subjects such as 
the Serbian language, geography, history and arts risk affecting the quality of textbooks and education 
and politicizing curriculum.  

79 

 
 
The level of public spending on education in Serbia in 2023 is modest around 3.2%, which is below 
the EU average of 4.6% of GDP. Public expenditures for higher education increased by 20%, namely 
for staff, material costs and scholarships. At the same time, a severe cut of salaries and operational 
costs across the education system was made on the account of discontinued delivery of classes in the 
context  of  the  protests  but  are  retroactively  being  paid  conditioned  with  the  completion  of  the 
2024/2025 academic year. The student population continues to decrease due to negative demographic 
trends and emigration.  

The coverage of children with early childhood education and care education (ECEC) is stable at 62.1 
%  in  2024  (61.2%  in  2023)  for  age  6  months  to  6.5  years.  However,  further  efforts  are  needed  to 
increase participation in preschool education, including through ensuring equitable ECEC for the most 
disadvantaged  children.  The  enrolment  rate  in  mandatory  ECEC  has  been  broadly  stable,  though 
decreasing to 96.2% during the 2024/2025 school year (97.2% in 2023/2024).  

In December 2024, Serbia adopted new standards of achievement for all three cycles of pre-university 
education.  The  introduction  of  final  examinations  in  secondary  education  was  postponed  to  the 
2028/2029 school year. The rate of early school leavers slightly increased to 6.2% in 2024 (5.8% in 
2023).  Serbia  should  commit  sufficient  funding  and  human  resources  for  sustained  participation  in 
international  assessments.    Findings  of  the  TIMMS  2023  survey  indicate  more  favourable  results 
among  fourth  graders,  where  Serbian  students  achieved  results  above  the  international  average  in 
mathematics and science. Serbia conducted the TALIS 2024 but postponed the PISA 2025 testing to 
autumn 2025. 

Serbia should continue to modernise the curricula to improve VET relevance and further develop the 
national work-based learning model for VET. The employment rate of VET graduates (aged 20-34) is 
low but slightly increased to 67.3% in 2024 (65.6% in 2023). The lack of opportunities for reskilling 
and upskilling is a structural barrier to youth and adult employment which should be addressed. Work 
on the recognition of informal and non-formal training is progressing slowly and is yet to be scaled up 
systematically. Serbia is a member of the European Alliance for Apprenticeships (EAfA) and should 
encourage regional and local stakeholders to join the network. 

Serbia  is  a  member  of  the  European  Higher  Education  Area  (Bologna  process).  Three  Serbian 
universities  participate  in  European  Universities  alliances.  Amendments  to  the  Law  on  Higher 
Education  which  brought  in  the  possibility  of  micro  credentials  should  be  fully  operationalised  to 
facilitate additional lifelong learning opportunities. Lifelong learning participation decreased to 5.5% 
in 2024 (6.1% in 2023). 

On  quality  assurance  in  higher  education,  no  progress  was  made  in  the  implementation  of 
recommendations of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA). 
An  application  for  renewed  membership  in  ENQA  has  yet  to  be  submitted  by  the  National 
Accreditation  Body  after  its  suspension  in  2020.  First  qualification  standards  for  higher  education 
have  been  developed  but  are  yet  to  be  linked  with  quality  assurance  procedures.  The  attainment  of 
tertiary  level  qualifications  for  people  aged  25-34  slightly  increased  to  37.2%  in  2024  (34.7%  in 
2023), significantly below the 2030 EU target of 45%.  

Measures to reduce drop-out rates and segregation need to be enforced focusing also on the inclusion 
of  women  and  girls  in  education  and  training.  The  number  of  students  supported  by  individual 
education plans increased significantly in the 2024/2025 school year. Children with disabilities still do 
not  have  access  to  teaching  assistants.  The  issue  of  children  in  residential  institutions  who  are  not 
attending  education  or  have  dropped  out  needs  to  be  adequately  addressed.  Free  textbooks  are 
provided  for  an  extended  number  of  vulnerable  categories  of  students.  The  education  system  has 
demonstrated  flexibility  in  integrating  migrants.  The  assistive  technology  resource  centres  need  to 
become  fully  operational  to  provide  additional  services  for  inclusive education.  The  Criminal  Code 
was  amended  with  rules  setting  out  penalties  for  assault  and  violence  against  people  employed  in 

80 

 
 
education. Mechanisms for prevention of, and protection against, violence and discrimination need to 
be fully implemented, and monitoring strengthened.  

Serbia’s digital transformation of the education system is ongoing including developing infrastructure 
and  teacher  digital  competencies.  Although  the  pre-university  level  curricula  include  mandatory 
subjects  to  develop  digital  skills,  according  to  the  2023  International  Computer  and  Information 
Literacy  Study  survey  67%  of  students  lack  sufficient  competency  to  use  digital  technologies 
independently,  safely  and  with  critical  thinking.  The  development  of  the  education  management 
information  system  still  requires  further  consolidation.  Further  efforts  are  needed  to  align  digital 
education with the EU’s 2021-2027 digital education action plan. Serbia has yet to incorporate green 
and environmental topics into its curricula. 

Serbia has been successfully participating in the Erasmus+ programme as an associated country since 
2019.  In  2024,  Serbian  organisations  participated  in 794 Erasmus+  projects, of  which  in  more  than 
230 projects as project coordinators for a total contracted grant amount of EUR 19.4 million. Serbia is 
participating in all the European Education Area 2021-2025 working groups. 

Regarding  youth, Serbia  is  implementing the youth  strategy  and the  Youth  Guarantee  action  plans. 
The expenditures from the national budget for youth policy increased by 25% in 2025 compared to 
2024.  The  legislation  on  youth,  volunteering  and  internship  has  not  been  revised  yet.  The  National 
Youth  Council  was  re-constituted  in  October  2024.  Despite  increased  efforts,  youth  policy  and 
support mechanisms remain unevenly developed at local level. 

On sports, Serbia is successfully implementing the third call for proposals for mobility projects in the 
area of sport and continued to participate in the European Week of Sport. 

On  culture,  Serbia  has  been  implementing  its  strategic  priorities  for  cultural  development  for  the 
period  2021-2025.  However,  the  adoption  of  the  overarching  cultural  development  strategy  is  still 
pending.  Serbia  has  ratified  and  continues  to  implement  the  2005  UNESCO  Convention  on  the 
Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions at both national and local levels. 
Serbia  fully  participates  in  the  2021-2027  Creative  Europe  Programme.  The  ‘Creative  Europe 
Festival,’ held across the country, further increases visibility and awareness of the programme. The 
Serbian cultural and creative sector has over the past year faced challenges with reduced funding and 
limited institutional support. 

Chapter 29 - Customs union  

All  Member  States  are  part  of  the  EU  customs  union  and  follow  the  same  customs  rules  and 
procedures.  This  requires  legislative  alignment  as  well  as  adequate  implementing  and  enforcement 
capacity, and access to and interoperability with the EU electronic customs environment. 

Serbia’s customs legislation is largely aligned with the EU acquis. In December 2024, Serbia further 
aligned  its  Regulation  on  customs  procedures  and  customs  formalities.  A  large  number  of 
implementing  legislation  related  to  the  classification  of  certain  goods  was  also  adopted  during  the 
reporting  period.  Serbia  is  a  party  to  the  Common  Transit  Convention  and  to  the  Pan-Euro-
Mediterranean  Convention  on  rules  of  origin,  including  the  transitional  provisions  that  entered  into 
force  in  January  2025.  Serbia  regularly  harmonises  its  customs  tariff  nomenclature  with  the  EU 
combined nomenclature, including for 2025. Serbia has an authorised economic operator programme 
and has issued a total of 66 certificates for authorised economic operators. Full alignment with the EU 
acquis is still needed concerning free zones. Fees are still charged at some border crossing points on 
lorries entering customs terminals to discharge customs obligations, which is not in line with Serbia’s 
SAA obligations. In terms of the  administrative and operational capacity, the customs laboratory 
remains  underequipped,  and  the  risk  management  system  must  be  strengthened.  To  fully  align  on 
security aspects, Serbia should consistently carry out pre-arrival/pre-departure risk-based analysis, in 
line  with  the  EU  Customs  Code.  In  2024,  total  revenues  collected  by  the  customs  administration 

81 

 
 
increased by 11% year-on-year. The administrative capacity for the control of illicit tobacco trade is 
insufficient. Serbia should continue to strengthen combating customs fraud, in particular smuggling of 
tobacco products and by cooperating with the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF). 

Serbia  is  a  party  to  the  Protocol  to  Eliminate  Illicit  Trade  in  Tobacco  Products  of  the  WHO 
Framework Convention on Tobacco Control but has yet to fully comply with its provisions including 
by establishing a track and trace system of tobacco products. 

Serbia  continued  to  cooperate  with  EU  Member  States  and  OLAF  under  Protocol  6  of the  SAA  on 
mutual  administrative  assistance  in  customs  matters  in  particular  in  order  to  investigate  suspected 
cases  of circumvention  via  its territory  and/or  by  legal entities registered in  Serbia  of  EU  sanctions 
adopted in the context of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.  

CLUSTER 4: THE GREEN AGENDA AND SUSTAINABLE CONNECTIVITY  

This cluster  covers:  transport (Chapter  14);  energy (Chapter  15);  trans-European  networks  (Chapter 
21); and environment and climate change (Chapter 27).  

Chapter 14: Transport policy 

The EU has common rules for technical and safety standards, security, social standards, State aid and 
market liberalisation  in  road  transport,  railways,  inland  waterways,  multimodal  transport,  aviation 
and maritime transport. 

For  the  general  transport  acquis,  Serbia  must  finalise  and  adopt  its  National  Transport  Strategy, 
while ensuring a transparent and inclusive consultation process. Subsequently, Serbia needs to update 
the  general  transport  master  plan  and  integrate  it  with  capital  budgeting.  The  improvement  of 
administrative  capacity  in  the  road  and  rail  sectors  should  continue.  Serbia  actively  engages  in  the 
work of the Transport Community (TCT) and implemented the five TCT action plans, which ended in 
2024. Serbia should now focus on the implementation of the next generation action plans 2025-2027. 
For  larger  transport  agglomerations,  sustainable  urban  mobility  plans  that  adhere  to  environmental 
and social standards should be developed in accordance with EU practice. 

On  road  transport,  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  is  at  a  good  level  and  remains  a  priority.  The 
institutional  framework  is  in  place,  however,  agencies  responsible  for  road  maintenance  and 
construction lack full independence in carrying out their mandates. Road maintenance, including its 
financing, should ensure the sustainability of investments in road infrastructure and adhere to the ‘user 
pays’ principle. Serbia is committed to implementing EU-Western Balkans green lanes by updating 
working regimes at border crossing points with EU Member States, expanding border crossings along 
main  corridors,  including  parking  facilities,  and  promoting  the  use  of  digital  waybills.  The  Road 
Safety  Strategy  for  2023-2030  and  its  three-year  action  plan  should  continue  to  be  implemented, 
including more systemic use of tools 
supporting 
safety 
improvements. The exchange of data 
with  the  European  Commission,  in 
accordance  with 
the  EU  CARE 
protocol,  should  also  be  maintained. 
Social  and  market  rules  in  the  field 
of  road  transport  must  be  fully 
transposed. 
the 
tachograph 
transition 
technology is an important step.  

this  context, 
smart 

In 
to 

road 

On  rail  transport,  there  is  a  high 

82 

 
 
 
level of alignment with the EU  acquis. The Railway Directorate, which acts as the regulatory body, 
licensing authority, and safety authority, should be further strengthened. The investment pipeline in 
railway  infrastructure  continues  to  grow.  However,  the  legal,  technical,  administrative,  and 
institutional frameworks relevant for the preparation and implementation of investment projects need 
to  be  thoroughly  reassessed  to  tackle  significant  delays  and  administrative  weaknesses  currently 
causing ineffective use of resources. Current maintenance practices of railway infrastructure must be 
systemically  improved  to  provide  an  adequate  balance  between  infrastructure  capacity  and  safety 
standards,  as  well  as  to  ensure  sustainability  of  ongoing  and  planned  investments  in  railway 
infrastructure  modernisation.  Alignment  with  the  fourth  EU  Railway  Package  should  continue, 
notably by ensuring the adoption of the new Law on railways. Formal adoption of the EU technical 
specifications  for  interoperability  remains  pending,  as  does  full  alignment  with  the  rail  safety  and 
interoperability  acquis.  The  European  Rail  Traffic  Management  System  should  be  fully  and 
transparently implemented. 

On  maritime  transport,  Serbia  is  at  a  high  level  of  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis.  Serbia  should 
continue aligning with international conventions. 

Regarding inland waterway transport, there is a high level of alignment with the EU  acquis. The 
institutional framework is in place; however, vessel traffic services need to be further strengthened. 
Serbia’s  operational  river  information  services  system  is  highly  interoperable  with  those  of  EU 
Member  States.  Serbia  should  continue  efforts  to  meet  all  requirements  in  the  ongoing  process  of 
recognition of certificates in inland waterways including the connection to European Crew Data Base.  

On  aviation,  Serbia  maintains  a  good  level  of  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis.  Good  level  of 
implementation  of  EU  safety  acquis  in  the  domain  of  air  crew  licencing  was  confirmed  during  the 
EASA inspection conducted in June 2025. No progress was made in lifting the suspension of articles 
on the licensing of air carriers or in normalising the lower airspace regime over Kosovo. 

Multimodal  transport  policy  should  focus  on  improving  the  operational  connectivity  of  various 
transport modes. Administrative capacity for multimodal transport needs to be further strengthened. A 
company  in  charge  of  operating  the  intermodal  terminal  in  Batajnica  was  established  in  2023, 
however,  the  terminal  is  still  not  yet  fully  operational,  and  customs  services  need  to  become 
functional at the terminal. Serbia has not yet aligned with the Combined Transport Directive. 

No progress was made on EU passenger rights reforms. 

Chapter 15 - Energy   

EU  energy  policy  covers  energy  supply,  infrastructure,  the  internal  energy  market,  consumers, 
renewable energy, energy efficiency, nuclear energy, nuclear safety, radiation protection and nuclear 
safeguards. 

On security of supply, Serbia took decisive steps in establishing the legal and institutional framework 
for the unbundling of the gas sector in line with the Third Energy Package, and Transportgas company 
was  conditionally  certified  in  March  2025.  However,  additional  steps  are  pending,  while  the 
certification of the Banatski Dvor underground gas storage facility continues to experience significant 
delay.  

Serbia maintained a high level of alignment with the EU acquis on emergency oil stocks. The Law on 
energy adopted in November 2024, together with Governmental Decree on Risk Preparedness in the 
Electricity Sector adopted in May 2025 aim at full transposition of Regulation (EU) 2019/941 on risk-
preparedness  in  the  electricity  sector.  Adoption  of  the  Electricity  Risk  Preparedness  Plan  is  still 
pending.  

Regarding  internal  energy  markets,  alignment  with  and  implementation  of  the  Gas  Storage 
Regulation is further delayed. In May 2025, the current gas supply contract with Russia was extended 

83 

 
 
by  four  months.  Serbia  should  align  to  the  EU  policy  of  reducing  gas  dependence  on  Russia  and 
address  the  issue  of  Russian  majority  control  over  its  gas  and  oil  industry.    On  9 October,  the  US 
started  implementing  sanctions  against  Serbia’s  largest  oil  company  NIS  due  to  the  company’s 
ownership  structure,  in  which  the  majority  of  shares  (56%)  are  held  by  Gazprom  Neft  (50%)  and 
Gazprom subsidiary. 

Serbia  has  not  yet  enabled  transparent  and  non-discriminatory  third-party  access  to  gas 
infrastructure,  most  notably  to  the  interconnection  transmission  capacity.  The  development  of 
competition and liquid trading of capacity and gas in Serbia is still lacking. 

The amendments to the Law on energy adopted in November 2024, accompanied by Governmental 
Decrees  transposing  all  five  Network  Codes  and  Guidelines  adopted  in  the  course  of  2025,  aim  at 
transposing  the  Electricity  Integration  Package  and  therefore  facilitate  the  integration  of  Serbia’s 
electricity market with the EU market. Serbia continued its alignment with the Electricity Regulation 
714/2009 
the  electricity 
transmission  company  EMS  has  not  made  progress  on  determining  net  transmission  capacities  and 
capacity  allocation  at  the  interconnection  with  Kosovo  Transmission  System  Operator  (KOSTT). 
Trading volumes on the organised electricity day-ahead market increased by 16.1% in 2024 compared 
to 2023.  

to  enable  coordinated  cross-border  capacity  allocation.  However, 

Regarding  renewable  energy,  in  March  2025,  the  Ministry  of  Mining  and  Energy  successfully 
completed the second auction process for wind and solar power plants (300 MW for wind and 124.8 
MW for solar). The total capacity of new renewable sources supported by these schemes reached 770 
MW. 

Serbia  further  aligned  with  the  Renewable  Energy  Directive  (REDII),  particularly  by  introducing 
mandatory  certification  for  renewable  energy  installers  and  strengthening  the  regulation  of  energy 
communities  and  prosumers.  Additionally,  the  Regulation  on  sustainability  criteria  for  biofuels, 
bioliquids, and biomass fuels was adopted. However, Serbia is yet to establish a national traceability 
system for these fuels. Further alignment is needed, especially regarding the implementation of energy 
communities  and  the  introduction  of  advanced  biofuels  and  Renewable  Fuels  of  Non-Biological 
Origin (RFNBOs). 

On energy efficiency, no progress was made in aligning with the Energy Performance of Buildings 
Directive,  while  institutional  capacity  for  implementing  energy  efficiency  projects  and  measures 
continues to require substantial strengthening. 

Regarding  energy  labelling  and  eco-design  Serbia  continued  alignment  with  the  Energy  Labelling 
Regulation  by  adopting  rulebooks  for  energy  related  products.  However,  only  limited  progress  was 
achieved in aligning with the eco-design for the Sustainable Products Regulation.  

Regarding  governance,  in  November  2024,  Serbia  adopted  the  Energy  Development  Strategy  until 
2040, with projections to 2050, outlining a pathway toward climate neutrality through decarbonisation 
measures,  including  the  expansion  of  renewable  energy  sources,  enhancement  of  energy  efficiency, 
and the introduction of emission pricing mechanisms. In July 2025, Serbia adopted the Just Transition 
action  plan,  as  a  milestone  to  accelerate  coal  phase  out.  Serbia  should  now  establish  the  Just 
Transition governance process in accordance with the action plan.  

As regards nuclear energy, nuclear safety and radiation protection, Serbia’s legislation is partially 
in  line  with  the  Euratom  acquis.  The  ban  on  the  construction  of  nuclear  power  plants  was  lifted  in 
December  2024.  Licensing  of  two  old  storage  facilities,  two  research  nuclear  reactors  and  an 
abandoned  uranium  mine  has  yet  to  be  finalised.  The  Serbian  Parliament  has  still  not  ratified  the 
European  Community  Urgent  Radiological  Information  Exchange  (ECURIE)  Agreement.  The 
capacity  of  the  Serbian  Radiation  and  Nuclear  Safety  and  Security  Directorate  (SRBATOM)  needs 

84 

 
 
further strengthening in order to fulfil its future obligations also taking into account ongoing activities 
for the possible use of nuclear energy.  

On  nuclear  safeguards,  upon  EU  accession,  the  existing  systems  of  accountancy  and  control  of 
nuclear materials in Serbia would need to be adapted to accommodate for the safeguards provisions of 
the Euratom Treaty. 

Chapter 21 - Trans-European networks   

The EU promotes trans-European networks (TENs) in the areas of transport, telecommunications and 
energy to strengthen the internal market and contribute to growth and employment. 

On transport networks, the legislative framework is partially aligned with the EU acquis. 

Serbia continues to develop transport projects within the trans-European networks. The preparation of 
technical and tender documentation for the implementation of TEN-T projects in road and rail needs 
to be accelerated. Feasibility studies and Environmental and Social Impact Assessments with active 
stakeholders’  engagement  should  remain  central  to  ensuring  the  quality  of  technical  project 
documentation.  Serbia  needs  to  take  into  account  the  new  TEN-T  Regulation  requirements  and 
standards.  

Regarding roads, for the works on the Niš-Merdare highway, to date, only around 10% of approved 
EU  grant  funds  have  been  utilised,  and  the  tendering  of  the  remaining  sections  has  been  further 
delayed and postponed until the end of 2025. The preparation of missing project documentation for 
the  Pločnik-Merdare  section,  for  which  EU  funds  have  also  been  secured,  has  been  pending  for  an 
extended period. 

Regarding  rail infrastructure, works related to the modernisation of the Niš–Dimitrovgrad railway 
and the Niš railway bypass are progressing at a very slow pace. Testing and completion of works on 
the  remaining  part  of  the  Budapest-Belgrade  line  (the  Novi  Sad–Subotica  sub-section)  have  been 
slowed down due to the tragic accident at the Novi Sad railway station. Tenders for the selection of 
contractors  on  sections  3  and  2  of  Rail  Corridor  X  are  to  be  launched,  while  preparatory  activities 
related  to  Section  1  should  be  accelerated.  Scoping  for  the  modernisation  of  the  Belgrade  and  Niš 
railway junctions should be carried out to facilitate budgeting and project preparation activities. The 
works  on  lot  one  of  the  Stalać–Djunis  sub-section,  funded  by  the  national  budget,  are  significantly 
delayed, while the tendering procedure for lot 2 has been completed, but the works contract has not 
yet been signed. 

Serbia is part of the new Western Balkans–Eastern Mediterranean European Transport Corridor and is 
therefore expected to be constructive in EU-funded projects implemented across the region, enhancing 
regional connectivity. 

Transposition of the revised TEN-E Regulation is delayed. Serbia should transpose it in its national 
legislation,  with  the  aim  to  accelerate  permitting  procedures  and  enable  development  of  key 
infrastructure projects with the neighbouring countries. 

Serbia continues to develop energy projects within the trans-European energy networks. In January 
2025,  the  gas  interconnector  between  Serbia  and  Bulgaria  (IBS)  began  commercial  operations  after 
receiving  a  usage  permit.  However,  an  unrestricted  third-party  access  regime  and  an  open  capacity 
allocation  procedure  on  a  non-discriminatory  basis  in  line  with  the  Energy  Community  acquis,  the 
IPA 2017 Financing Agreement and Serbia’s own commitments under the Reform Agenda remain to 
be  fully  implemented.  Regarding  the  Trans-Balkan  electricity  corridor,  the  contract  for  the 
construction of a double circuit 400 kV transmission line included in the Section III from Obrenovac 
to  Bajina  Bašta  has  been  signed  and  works  began  in  June  2025.  Assistance  for  the  preparation  of 
tender documentation for Section IV from Bajina Bašta to Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina 
is ongoing. Serbia also initiated the drafting of the spatial plan for the “Pannonian corridor” project.    

85 

 
 
Chapter 27 - Environment and climate change  

The EU promotes strong climate action, sustainable development and protection of the environment. 
EU  rules  contain  provisions  addressing  climate  change,  water  and  air  quality,  waste  management, 
nature protection, industrial pollution, chemicals, noise and civil protection. 

Environment 

The  institutional  framework  is  in  place  but  should  be  improved  as  the  environmental  sector 
competencies are scattered across several Ministries. Overall coordination and capacity of local self-
governments and public utilities companies, in particular in the water sector, should be strengthened.  

In the area of horizontal legislation, the legislative framework has a high level of alignment with the 
EU acquis. In November 2024, the Parliament adopted the Law on environmental impact assessment 
(EIA) and the Law on strategic environmental assessment (SEA). It is now important to ensure swift 
implementation  of  the  legislation  for  all  projects,  including  for  EXPO  2027,  prior  to  issuing 
construction permits.   

Public participation and consultations processes did not improve compared to the previous reporting 
period.  Serbia  should  continue  to  enhance  inter-ministerial  coordination  Official  reports  and 
information about ongoing infrastructure investments and their environmental impact should be made 
publicly available by the Ministry of Environmental Protection. 

Transboundary  cooperation  did  not  improve  during  the  reporting  period.  Serbia  should  continue  its 
efforts to implement the Espoo Convention, to strengthen collaboration with neighbouring countries 
and begin implementing the activities outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation 
in the field of environmental protection with Bulgaria.  

The number of inspection cases and issuance of offences increased, however, the alignment with the 
Environmental Liability Directive remains at an early stage, while alignment with the Environmental 
Crime Directive and its implementation needs to be improved.  

In  the  field  of  air  quality,  Serbia  maintains  a  high  level  of  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis.  In  June 
2025, Serbia adopted a new Law on air protection. Further alignment is encouraged with the latest air 
quality  acquis,  as  well  as  alignment  with  the  EU  air  quality  index.  In  January  2025,  civil  society 
organisations took legal action against the authorities due to the lack of information on air pollution 
levels in Leskovac, Prokuplje, Požega, and Inđija, where real-time data was allegedly not available to 
citizens.  Three  local  air  quality  plans  were  adopted  for  Zrenjanin,  Valjevo  and  Zaječar.  Serbia 
continued to replace inefficient and polluting boilers in public buildings across the country. 

Regarding waste management, Serbia has a good level of alignment with the EU  acquis, however, 
implementation  progresses  slowly  and  remains  limited.  The  waste  prevention  plan  2025–2030 
together with four implementing laws were adopted during the reporting period. There is still a need 
to  implement  extended  producers’  responsibility  system  for  specific  waste  streams,  in  accordance 
with  the  polluter  pays  principle.  The  Duboko  waste  management  centre  was  closed,  leading  to  the 
waste  being  redirected  to  unsanitary  landfills.  Landfill  fires  broke  out  in  several  cities  during  the 
summer  2025,  prompting  emergency  actions  from  central  and  local  authorities.  Efforts  at  closing 
unsanitary  landfills  are  ongoing  and  should  intensify.  The  Belgrade  waste  incinerator  has  been 
operational since November 2024. Serbia has ratified the Parma declaration for prevention of diseases 
caused by exposure to asbestos, and also the Ostrava declaration supporting provisions of the Parma 
declaration. 

The  level  of  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  water  quality  remains  partial.  The  institutional 
framework  in  the  water  sector  is  fragmented  and  not  adequately  adapted  to  the  increasing  level  of 
investments. Improving local governance and technical skills, especially regarding the operation and 
maintenance  of  water  and  wastewater  treatment  facilities,  remains  a  priority.  Serbia  needs  to 

86 

 
 
accelerate  the  adoption  of  the  new  water  Law  in  line  with  the  EU  acquis,  as  well  as  the  Law  on 
drinking water.  

Alignment in the field of nature protection, particularly with the Habitats and Birds Directives and 
the  EU’s  latest  acquis  on  nature  restoration,  remains  partial  and  the  adoption  of  the  new  Law  on 
nature protection is still pending. In the reporting period, the surface of protected areas was expanded. 
Serbia should further intensify efforts to identify and pre-designate sites for inclusion in the Natura 
2000  network.  Institutional  and  human  resource  capacity  at  both  national  and  local  levels  remains 
weak, especially in relation to enforcement capacity and control of wildlife trade.  Novi Sad received 
the Ramsar Wetland City accreditation in July 2025. 

As  regards  industrial  pollution  and  risk  management,  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  remains 
partial.  During  the  reporting  period,  62  new  Integrated  Pollution  Prevention  and  Control  (IPPC) 
permits were issued out of a total of 220 required. Significant progress was achieved in the area of 
hazard risk management, with the adoption in November 2024 of the new Law on the control of major 
accidents involving dangerous substances together implementing legislation. Serbia is encouraged to 
adopt  the  remaining  implementing  legislation.  In  the  reporting  period,  Serbia  adopted  the  Law  on 
ratification of the Minamata Convention on mercury. 

Serbia has a high level of alignment with the EU acquis on chemicals.  
There  is  partial  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  noise.  Serbia  should  adopt  the  three  prepared 
implementing  laws  under  the  Law  on  environmental  noise  protection.  The  strategic  noise  map  for 
Belgrade  Airport  was  adopted  in  June  2024.  Serbia  needs  to  continue  developing  noise  maps  for 
Belgrade,  Subotica,  and  Kragujevac,  as  well  as  corresponding  action  plans,  and  ensure  the 
enforcement of noise legislation.  

Regarding  civil  protection,  Serbia  actively  contributes  to  and  participates  in  the  Union  Civil 
Protection  Mechanism  (UCPM)  and  provided  critical  energy  infrastructure  to  Ukraine  through  the 
EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre. Serbia possesses a legal and policy framework for 
disaster  risk  management,  however,  the  new  disaster  risk  reduction  strategy  and  the  new  Law  on 
disaster risk reduction and emergency management remain to be adopted. The Disaster Risk Register, 
in  line  with  the  EU  INSPIRE  Directive  and  the  EU  initiative  to  enhance  data  interoperability,  is 
regularly  updated.  Serbia  should  establish  the  trans-European  Services  for  Telematics  between 
Administrations  (TESTA)  as  a  prerequisite  for  connecting 
the  Common  Emergency 
Communication and Information System (CECIS).  

to 

Climate change 

Serbia  has  some  preparedness  in  the  area  of  climate  change,  but  enforcement  is  at  an  early  stage. 
Limited progress was achieved during the reporting period.  

Serbia advanced on implementation of Monitoring Reporting Verification and Accreditation (MRVA) 
acquis. Trainings on carbon pricing and GHG applications for relevant stakeholders continued. The 
greenhouse gas registry has been operational since October 2024 and so far, 93 permits were issued. 
Guidance documents are publicly available through the platform. Serbia is encouraged to expand its 
legislative alignment with and implementation of MRVA acquis to cover the full EU ETS scope, thus 
including aviation, shipping and ETS2 sectors. There was some preparatory work for the introduction 
of a national carbon tax.  

Serbia’s  draft  national  spatial  plan,  based  on  its  energy  strategy,  includes  the  construction  and 
operation  of  new  thermal  power  plants,  which  could  jeopardise  Serbia’s  ability  to  fulfil  its  climate 
targets and align with those of the EU. Serbia should set a coal phase-out date as an effective means to 
comply  with  its  Green  Agenda  commitments  on  achieving  climate  neutrality  by  2050.  The  country 
should update its Climate Law and Low Carbon Development Strategy to align with the EU’s 2050 
climate  neutrality  target.  Serbia  still  needs  fully  align  with  EU  acquis  on  fluorinated  greenhouse 

87 

 
 
gases, ozone-depleting substances, and emissions from the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry 
(LULUCF) sector, vehicles and road transport. 

In  January  and  September  2025  respectively,  Serbia  submitted  its  first  biennial  transparency  report 
and its new nationally determined contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. The new NDC sets 
a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 40.1% (excluding the LULUCF sector) by 2035 which 
de  facto  means  that  most  of  the  remaining  mitigation  efforts  to  reach  low-carbon  economy  are 
postponed to after 2035.  

CLUSTER 5: RESOURCES, AGRICULTURE AND COHESION 

This  cluster  covers:  agriculture  and  rural  development  (Chapter  11);  food  safety,  veterinary  and 
phytosanitary  policy  (Chapter  12);  fisheries  and  aquaculture  (Chapter  13);  regional  policy  and 
coordination of structural instruments (Chapter 22); and financial and budgetary provisions (Chapter 
33). 

Chapter 11: Agriculture and rural development 

The EU’s common agricultural policy supports farmers and ensures Europe’s food security. It helps 
tackle climate change and the sustainable management of national resources; maintains rural areas 
and landscapes across the EU; and keeps the rural economy alive by promoting jobs in farming, agri-
food industries and associated sectors. This requires strong management and control systems. There 
are also common EU rules for marketing standards, quality policy and organic farming. 

Regarding horizontal issues, Serbia revised its action plan for the transposition, implementation and 
enforcement of the acquis in this area. A new, national strategy for the period 2025-2034 remains to 
be adopted. 

Serbia  needs  to  make  progress  with  the  establishment  of  the  integrated  administration  and  control 
system (IACS) and the transition from manual to electronic processing of aid applications. The land 
parcel  identification  system  (LPIS)  software  was  developed.  The  Ministry  of  Agriculture,  Forestry 
and  Water  Management  needs  to  ensure  sufficient  human  resources  to  implement  the  LPIS  and 
further develop IACS. The sample size and the collected data need to be further improved to ensure 
the development of the farm sustainability data network.  

In the area of agricultural markets - common market organisation, there was no progress on the 
adoption of legislation. The Law on wine remains to be adopted. 

On rural development, Serbia recorded further losses under the IPARD II programme in 2024 and 
absorbed only 56,6% of the available EU funding. 

Regarding  IPARD  III,  there  was  limited  progress  with  the  rollover  of  entrusted  IPARD  measures. 
However,  there  was  a  lack  of  progress  in  the  implementation,  with  no  contracts  signed  yet  and 
significant delays in the submission of entrustment requests for new measures. Serbia should urgently 
engage  all  efforts  to  contract  and  disburse  IPARD  III  funds  and  significantly  accelerate  the 
entrustment of three new measures. The IPARD Agency’s capacity needs to be further strengthened. 

As  regards  quality  policy,  there  was  no  progress.  The  Law  on  quality  schemes  still  needs  to  be 
adopted. 

On  organic  farming,  the  Law  on  organic  production  which  would  provide  alignment  with  the  EU 
acquis still needs to be adopted. 

On  the  fight  against  corruption,  the  IPARD  bodies  are  obliged  to  prevent,  detect  and  report 
irregularities. 

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Chapter 12 - Food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy  

The EU food acquis including hygiene rules for foodstuff production ensure a high level of food and 
feed safety, and a high level of protection of consumers’ interests. Animal health and welfare, and the 
safety of food of animal origin, are safeguarded together with the quality of seeds, plant reproductive 
material, the protection against harmful organisms, animal nutrition and the use of plant protection 
products. 

The  legal  and  institutional  framework  for  this  Chapter  is  in  place.  However,  the  legal  framework 
remains to be fully aligned with the EU acquis, while the institutional framework and capacities need 
to be considerably strengthened. 

In the area of general food safety, Serbia still needs to adopt a strategy and action plan for alignment 
with the EU acquis. Only two out of sixteen foreseen framework laws which are aimed to align with 
the  acquis  were  adopted  in  the  reporting  period.  Serbia  continues to  apply  an inefficient  risk-based 
approach to food imports. In addition, Serbia introduced unannounced changes of import conditions 
for products of animal origin, which negatively impacted trade flows of those product categories (see 
also Chapter 30). This issue now seems to have been broadly addressed. 

On veterinary policy, understaffing at the Veterinary Directorate remains a major challenge for the 
implementation capacity. Serbia implemented rabies vaccination campaigns in 2024 and 2025 on its 
entire territory and should continue to do so. Serbia needs to strengthen its rabies surveillance. Serbia 
still needs to meet some requirements for the start of exports of fresh eggs and fresh poultry, and pork 
meat to the EU.  Alignment with the EU acquis on animal welfare remains ongoing. 

Regarding  placing  on  the  market  of  food,  feed  and  animal  by-products,  additional  efforts  are 
needed to monitor and upgrade food establishments to EU standards. Further work is still needed to 
ensure  full  alignment  with  the  EU  acquis  on  the  collection,  storage  and  processing  of  animal  by-
products. 

On food safety rules and its specific rules for feed, Serbia still needs to adopt the strategy/national 
programme for the improvement of milk quality. No progress was reported on aligning the permitted 
level of aflatoxins in milk with the EU acquis. 

In  the  area  of  phytosanitary  policy,  some  steps  were  taken  in  relation  to  the  sustainable  use  of 
pesticides, but the relevant legislation remains to be fully implemented. The Plant Health Directorate 
also remains seriously understaffed, especially its policy departments. Amendments to two framework 
laws from this area, the Law on forest reproductive material and the Law on acceptance of agricultural 
plant varieties, were adopted in March 2025, aiming for alignment with the EU acquis.  

No  progress  was  reported  on  genetically  modified  organisms.  Alignment  in  this  area  remains 
essential to advance negotiations on World Trade Organisation membership and is a prerequisite for 
opening this chapter. 

Chapter 13 - Fisheries and aquaculture 

The  common  fisheries  policy lays  down  rules  on  fisheries  management, protects  living resources of 
the sea and limits the environmental impact of fisheries. This includes setting catch quotas, managing 
fleet  capacity,  rules  on  control  and  inspection,  rules  on  markets  and  aquaculture  and  support  for 
fisheries and coastal communities. Further, it promotes a sustainable aquaculture. 

While Serbia, as a landlocked country, only has inland fishing and aquaculture, it still needs to fully 
develop  its  currently  limited  institutional  framework  to  address  the  relevant  parts  of  the  EU  acquis 
under  this  chapter,  in  particular  as  a  market  country  and  in  the  field  of  aquaculture.  The  legal 
framework  remains  to  be  fully  aligned  with  the  EU  acquis.  During  the  reporting  period,  Serbia 
adopted an action plan to achieve full compliance with the EU acquis by the time of accession. This 
comprehensive document addresses the main actions to be undertaken in the field of fisheries.  

89 

 
 
On resource and fleet management, the EU acquis applicable to Serbia includes provisions on the 
European eel. Legislation on market policy remains to be aligned with the EU acquis. 

While the system for inspection and controls is generally in place, further improvements are needed, 
including  coordination  between  the  state  bodies  involved.  Official  controls  of  fishery  products 
intended for export to the EU remain to be aligned with the EU  acquis. The implementation of the 
rulebook on catch certification and full alignment of the legal framework on illegal, unreported, and 
unregulated  (IUU)  fishing  has  been  repeatedly  postponed  and  should  be  addressed  as  a  matter  of 
priority.  

In the area of structural actions, the sector is eligible for support under IPARD, however, the first 
contracts have not yet been signed.  

In the area of aquaculture, Serbia should adopt a strategic plan to facilitate the development of this 
economic activity and further align with the EU acquis. 

There were no significant developments concerning State aid and international agreements. 

Chapter 22 - Regional policy & coordination of structural instruments  

Regional policy is the EU’s main tool for reducing regional disparities and investing  in sustainable 
and  inclusive  socio-economic  growth.  It  is  operating  through  ‘shared  management’  between  the 
Commission  and  EU  Member  States.  The  implementation  of  cohesion  policy  programmes  requires 
appropriate administrative capacity on programme and project level, the establishment of systems of 
sound financial management and control and also the fulfilment of other EU acquis elements such as 
environmental or public procurement legislation. 

On  legislative  framework,  Serbia  still  needs  to  adopt  the  law  on  cohesion  policy,  strengthen  joint 
regional  planning  between  central  and  local  authorities  and  advance  fiscal  decentralisation  to  align 
responsibilities  with  financial  resources.  Since  March  2025,  regional  planning  is  supported  by  the 
implementing legislation on public policy documents and regulatory impact assessment. By the end of 
the reporting period, 83% of the local self-governments had adopted local development plans, based 
on the principle of partnership. However, Serbia has still to adopt its national development plan to set 
policy  priorities,  recognise  the  development  potential  of  the  regions,  and  support  efforts  to  reduce 
regional and local disparities. Compliance with enabling conditions remains monitored on a regular 
basis. More efforts are needed to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in the regions (see also 
Chapters 5, 8, 15, 17, 19 and 27).  

The institutional framework for cohesion policy is largely in place, but responsibility for regional 
policy remains scattered among several ministries, and the potential of regional development agencies 
and local  development  offices is  still underused.  There  are regular meetings to coordinate activities 
related to regional developments including the Chapter 22 action plan.  

The potential of using European groupings of territorial cooperation in various policy instruments, as 
facilitators  for  integrated  territorial  governance  and  Interreg  cooperation,  remains  untapped.  Serbia 
demonstrates sufficient administrative capacity to manage EU funds. However, key institutions face 
understaffing, risking system disruptions and requiring urgent attention. The adoption of a retention 
policy remains a priority. Progress was made with the roadmap for building administrative capacity, 
mainstreaming  the  training  on  EU  financing  instruments  and  cohesion  policy  through  the  National 
Academy for Public Administration Training programme, certification of trainers on cohesion policy 
and  ensuring good training  dynamics  and  effectiveness.  The  existing  training  opportunities must  be 
fully  utilised  to  ensure timely implementation  of  the adopted  operational programmes and  seamless 
shift to ex-post controls. 

On  programming,  Serbia  adopted  the  Reform  Agenda  under  the  Reform  and  Growth  Facility, 
completed the programming of the remaining IPA III funds, and launched the implementation of two 

90 

 
 
operational programmes. Progress was achieved in public investment management with the budgeting 
of capital investment projects over a three-year horizon, the application of green tagging methodology 
for investments, and the upgrade of the Public Investment Management Information System, enabling 
efficient assessment, monitoring and reporting of green investments. Serbia continues to participate in 
six cross-border programmes and two transnational programmes: the EU Strategy for the Adriatic and 
Ionian Region and the EU Strategy for the Danube Region. 

Serbia benefits from a regulated and functioning monitoring and evaluation system, supported by an 
operational management information system. The Sector Monitoring Committees for the operational 
programmes need to be established, in line with the partnership principle.  

The  financial  management,  control  and  audit  systems  are  functioning,  as  evidenced  by  the  IPA 
contracting  and  disbursement  rates  and  the  low  rejection  rates.  The  strengthened  audit  system 
provides  sufficient  coverage  and  compliance  with  the  international  audit  standards,  although 
enhancing is needed to audit the IPA operational programmes and the Reform and Growth Facility. 
However, the understaffing of the National Authorising Officer Support Office, and the internal audit 
units of three ministries implementing EU assistance create critical risks.  

Serbia has  to  upscale  the legal  framework for  fight  against corruption  and  fraud  with  EU funds 
and funds from other sources, through adopting provisions on exchange of information with OLAF, as 
well as on authorising access to information, and technical and financial verifications by the European 
Commission,  OLAF  and  the  European  Court  of  Auditors.  Strengthening  the  capacities  of  the 
Department  for  combating  irregularities  and  fraud  dealing  with  European  Union  funds  (AFCOS) 
remains essential (see also Chapter 32). 

Chapter 33 - Financial and budgetary provisions 

This  chapter  covers  the  rules  governing  the  funding  of  the  EU  budget  (‘own  resources’).  These 
resources  mainly  consist  of:  (i)  contributions  based  on  the  gross  national  income  of  each  Member 
State;  (ii)  customs  duties;  (iii)  non-recycled  plastic;  and  (iv)  a  resource  based  on  value-added  tax. 
Member  States  must  have  the  appropriate  administrative  capacity  to  adequately  coordinate  and 
ensure the correct calculation, collection, payment and control of own resources. 

There  was  between  limited  to  some  progress  in  the  underlying  policy  areas  indirectly  affecting  the 
own resources system (for progress in these areas, see Chapters 16 – Taxation, 18 – Statistics, 29 – 
Customs union, and 32 – Financial control). 

Regarding traditional own resources, the customs legislation is largely aligned with the EU acquis. 
However,  reporting  is  manual,  and  Serbia  does  not  use  OWNRES,  or  any  other  similar  national 
electronic database, to report on fraud and irregularities for amounts over EUR 10 000. The current 
accounting system does not use two different accounts, one for collected or secured debts (A account) 
and the other for uncollected/unsecured debts or secured but appealed debts (B account). 

As regards the VAT-based resource, sufficient data sources are available for the calculation of the 
weighted average rate, deriving from the supply and use tables that were published for the first time in 
2019. 

Regarding administrative infrastructure, the capacity of the institutions in the relevant policy areas 
needs to be further strengthened, and the organisational and procedural links between the institutions 
involved in own resources should still be developed. 

CLUSTER 6: EXTERNAL RELATIONS  

There  are  two  chapters  in  this  cluster:  external  relations  (Chapter  30)  and  foreign,  security  and 
defence policy (Chapter 31). 

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Chapter 30: External relations 

The EU has a common commercial policy towards third countries, based on multilateral and bilateral 
agreements  and  autonomous  measures.  There  are  also  EU  rules  on  humanitarian  aid  and 
development policy. 

As  regards  the  common  commercial  policy,  Serbia  has  yet  to  accede  to  the  World  Trade 
Organisation (WTO). The process is stalled primarily due to the lack of progress on the adoption of a 
modified  law  on  trade  in  genetically  modified  organisms,  and  on  the  completion  of  market  access 
negotiations  with  a  small  number  of  WTO  members.  Furthermore,  Serbia  has  yet  to  achieve  full 
alignment with the EU acquis in line with its action plan on remaining preparations for EU accession 
under Chapter 30.  

Serbia should continue to play a constructive role in CEFTA and within the common regional market 
(CRM),  in  line  with  commitments  taken  in  the  context  of  the  Berlin  Process.  Serbia  should  also 
continue to implement the new CRM action plan for 2025-2028 and decisions adopted in the context 
of CEFTA, including the nine decisions from October 2024 and the four from February 2025. 

Serbia  has  a  tendency  to  introduce  ad  hoc  trade  restrictive  measures  against  the  spirit  of  the  SAA. 
Quantitative import restrictions on sunflower oil and margarine adopted by Serbia in March 2024 and 
the export ban on wood pellets from April 2024 were lifted in March 2025, and export quotas for iron 
and  steel  scrap  adopted  in  December  2024  were  lifted  in  July.  In  addition,  in  May  2025  Serbia 
revoked  import  licences  and  terminated  the issuance of  new  licences  concerning  a  large  number  of 
dairy  and  meat  products,  significantly  disrupting  trade  while  adding  to  the  list  of  trade  restrictive 
measures taken over the past years. This issue now seems to have been broadly addressed. An export 
ban  of  arms  and  military  equipment  remain  in  place  as  of  June.  There  are  also  systematically 
deteriorating conditions for imports of different types of products primarily of animal origin related to 
the  practices  of  sanitary,  phytosanitary  and  veterinary  border  inspections  in  terms  of  frequency, 
duration,  volume  and  costs  of  sampling.  Serbia  should  abstain  from  introducing  unilateral  trade 
restrictive  measures,  in  line  with  its  SAA  obligations  under  Article  36.  In  addition,  concerning  the 
management of its wine quotas, Serbia is encouraged to revert to the open and transparent First Come 
First Served System, which is the system applied to all wine imports into the EU.  

Serbia  continues to  prevent  circumvention  of  the  EU  restrictive measures adopted  in the  context  of 
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine via Serbian territory and/or by legal entities registered in 
Serbia.  Serbia  should  continue  to  step  up  its  efforts  to  fight  sanctions  circumvention  including 
concerning the risk of trade triangulation.  

In  March  2025,  Serbia adopted  a  new  Law  on  dual-use  goods  aimed  at  further  alignment  with  the 
latest EU acquis, namely Regulation (EU) 2021/821. Serbia regularly adopts a national control list of 
dual-use  goods  aimed  at  full  alignment  with  the  latest  Commission  Delegated  Regulation.  Serbia’s 
applications  to  join  the  Wassenaar  Arrangement  and  the  Australia  Group  from  2009  and  2017 
respectively, are still under consideration. Serbia has yet to align with the EU acquis on screening of 
foreign direct investments. 

Serbia  continues  to  negotiate  bilateral  agreements  with  third  countries.  In  October  2024,  a  Free 
Trade  Agreement  (FTA)  with  the  United  Arab  Emirates  was  signed,  which  entered  into  force  on 
1 June  2025.  The  FTA  with  Egypt  signed  in  July  2024  entered  into  force  in  September  2025.  In 
addition, negotiations on an FTA with South Korea are ongoing. Serbia has announced plans for an 
FTA with Israel. All the FTAs that Serbia negotiates must ensure compatibility with the EU  acquis 
and include sunset clauses, which guarantee that Serbia can renounce the agreements upon accession 
to  the  EU.  Serbia  should  also  ensure  that  proper  cost-benefit  analyses  are  conducted  before 
concluding any negotiations to minimise the risk of negative effects on specific sectors. Serbia has 50 
Bilateral  Investment  Treaties  (BITs)  in  force,  of  which  21  with  EU  Member  States.  In  addition,  a 
number of BITs are pending ratification. Serbia has also announced plans for new BITs with Bahrain, 

92 

 
 
Uzbekistan,  India,  Kyrgyzstan,  Equatorial  Guinea,  Japan  and  San  Marino.  Serbia  is  encouraged  to 
develop a strategy for amending or terminating BITs that fall short of EU standards and expose the 
country to risks.  

Serbia’s  institutional  framework  is  in  place.  However,  the  administrative  capacity  should  be 
strengthened concerning trade with the EU and EFTA, related to completing the WTO accession and 
to collecting market statistics. 

Regarding development policy and humanitarian aid, development assistance and humanitarian aid 
are granted on an ad hoc basis. 

Chapter 31 - Foreign, security and defence policy 

Member States must be able to conduct political dialogue under the EU foreign, security and defence 
policy, align with EU statements, take part in EU actions, and apply agreed sanctions and restrictive 
measures. 

The political dialogue between the EU and Serbia on foreign and security policy continued. In April 
2025,  Serbia  participated  in  the  eleventh  EU-Western  Balkans  meeting  of  Political  Directors  on 
CFSP. In April 2025, the Serbian Foreign Affairs Minister participated in the working dinner between 
the Foreign Ministers from Western Balkans and members of the Foreign Affairs Council.  

The institutional framework enabling Serbia’s participation in the EU common foreign and security 
policy and common security and defence policy is in place. 

In the area of the EU’s common foreign and security policy, Serbia needs, as a matter of priority, to 
make additional efforts to further align its foreign policy with the EU CFSP. Serbia’s alignment with 
statements  by  the  High  Representative  on  behalf  of  the  EU  and  Council  decisions  on  sanctions 
remains low. As of 24 October 2025, the CFSP alignment is at 63% (compared to 59% in 2024), it 
increased in the last weeks after Serbia retroactively aligned with several Council decisions and EU 
statements,  including  some  decisions  listing  Russian  citizens  and  statements  condemning  Russia’s 
actions. 

Serbia  has  not  aligned  with  EU’s  restrictive  measures  against  Russia,  nor  with  a  number  of  other 
statements  and  EU  restrictive  measures  linked  to  Russia,  China,  Belarus,  Iran  ,  the  Democratic 
People’s  Republic of  Korea  and  destabilisation  of the  Republic  of Moldova.  It  continues  to  operate 
flights to Russia, with increased frequency. Close cooperation and exchange of information between 
the  EU  and  the  national  authorities  is  ongoing  at  technical  level  on  sanctions  circumvention  and 
Serbia  should  maintain  the  existing  good  level  of  cooperation  in  this  field.  However,  the  fast-track 
acquisition  of  visa-free  travel  rights  to  the  EU  for  nationals  of  Russia  by  granting  them  Serbian 
citizenship is a matter of concern. Serbia voted at the UN General Assembly in favour of establishing 
an  International  Day  against  Unilateral  Coercive  Measures,  voting  against  the  European  Union 
position. 

Serbia  continued  to  engage  actively  with  international  organisations.  Serbia  does  not  have  a 
bilateral immunity agreement granting exemptions from the jurisdiction of the International Criminal 
Court  and  complies  with  EU  common  positions  on  the  integrity  of  the  Rome  Statute  together  with 
related  EU’s  guiding  principles  on  bilateral  immunity  agreements.  The  third  action  plan  for  the 
Implementation  of  UN  Security  Council  Resolution  1325  on  Women,  Peace  and  Security  for  the 
period 2024-2026 was adopted in April 2025; it does not explicitly refer to women CSOs nor to all 
women  from  vulnerable  groups.  Serbia  also  contributed  to  four  UN  peacekeeping  missions  (often 
joining the contingent of one EU Member State) and maintained its cooperation with NATO and its 
members.  Serbia  abstained  from  voting  on  the  EU-supported  UN  General  Assembly  Resolution  on 
Cooperation between the UN and the Council of Europe. 

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Serbia  continued  to  develop  intense  relations  and  strategic  partnerships  with  a  vast  number  of 
countries  worldwide.  High-level  and  frequent  bilateral  contacts  with  Russia  intensified,  combined 
with instances of anti-Western narratives, including the narrative characterising student protests as a 
foreign backed ‘colour revolution’, raising questions about Serbia’s strategic direction. The Serbian 
President attended the Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May and held a bilateral meeting with the 
Russian  President.  They  also  met  in  September  in  Beijing.  Frequent  close  contacts  with  Russian 
officials and ministers were maintained by a number of Serbian ministers, including through visits to 
Moscow.  On  14 March  2025,  Serbia  was  among  the  41  countries  supporting  a  joint  statement 
delivered by the Russian Federation on their behalf at the UN Human Rights Council concerning the 
commemoration of the 80th anniversary of Victory over Nazism on 9 May.  

With Ukraine, Serbia is maintaining a balancing act. High-level contacts were also maintained with 
Ukraine,  including  a  phone  conversation  between  the  two  Presidents  in  December  2024  and  May 
2025.  On  11 June  2025,  the  Serbian  President  attended  the  Southeast  Europe-Ukraine  summit  in 
Odesa, marking his first visit to Ukraine since the start of the Russian aggression. Serbia supports the 
territorial  integrity  of  Ukraine;  however,  it  did  not  join  the  final  Odesa  declaration  condemning 
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In February 2025 Serbia publicly retracted its support to the EU-
backed  UN  General  Assembly  Resolution  ‘Advancing  a  comprehensive,  just  and  lasting  peace  in 
Ukraine’ marking the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine after the vote had 
taken  place.  Serbia  continued  providing  humanitarian  (including  significant  amounts  of  energy 
equipment)  and  financial  assistance  to  Ukraine.  Russia’s  Foreign  Intelligence  Service  stated  that 
ammunition produced in Serbia was supplied indirectly, via assembly in NATO countries, to Ukraine. 
Following  pressure  from  Russia,  Serbia  announced  the  suspension  of  exports  of  arms  and  military 
equipment produced in Serbia and declared that any future such exports will require National Security 
Council approval.  

Serbia maintained frequent high-level contacts with China and participated in a joint military exercise 
with China in July 2025. President Vučić also attended the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of 
WII and of the Sino-Japanese War in September in Beijing, where he also met with Chinese President 
Xi Jinping.  

Serbia also pursued an active foreign policy with a wide range of countries from various continents, 
including the USA (having agreed to establish a strategic dialogue process), EU Member States, UK, 
Türkiye, Israel, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Iran, and Uzbekistan. Serbia also strengthened its ties with 
African partners. 

Serbia  continued  supporting  EU  measures  and  documents  on  conflict  prevention.  Serbia  also 
contributed to four UN peacekeeping missions (often joining the contingent of one EU Member State) 
and maintained its cooperation with NATO and its members. 

As regards non-proliferation and disarmament, Serbia is implementing its 2023-2025 strategy and 
action plan for the fight against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As regards conventional 
weapons, Serbia continued to implement and engage positively on the new Western Balkans Regional 
Roadmap  for  a  sustainable  solution  to  the  illegal  possessions,  misuse  and  trafficking  of  small  arms 
and  light  weapons  and their  ammunition.  Serbia  should  consider  ratifying  Protocol  V  on  Explosive 
Remnants of War of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons.  

Serbia is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group but not yet of any other multilateral export control 
regime.  Serbia  has  aligned  with  the  EU  Common  Position  2008/944  defining  common  rules 
governing control of exports of military technology and equipment by revising the Law on export and 
import of arms and military equipment and adopting a new Law on the export and import of dual-use 
goods  adopted  in  March  2025.  Serbia  established  its  National  Control  List  of  Arms  and  Military 
Equipment  in  July.  The  same  month,  the  government  adopted  an  export  ban  on  arms  and  military 

94 

 
 
equipment produced in Serbia, in a confidential decision, which subjects future exports to approval by 
the National Security Council.  

Serbia  has  a  transparent  reporting  system  on  its  strategic  exports  controls  but  allegations  of 
corruption in arms trade deals need to be investigated. Serbia is a party to the Arms Trade Treaty but 
further  measures  to  prevent  diversion  of  arms  and  ammunition  should  be  developed  to  support 
compliance. Serbia has not aligned with EU statements agreed in the Organisation for the Prohibition 
of Chemical Weapons Conference of States Parties and Executive Council meetings in recent years 
and  with  related  EU  restrictive  measures.  In  2024  and  2025,  Serbia  has  not  systematically  aligned 
with  EU  statements  in  the  context  of  the  UN  Conference  on  Disarmament  and  the  UN  General 
Assembly First Committee and sometimes supported positions that were opposed by the EU. At the 
Arms Trade Treaty meetings, Serbia aligns with the EU on technical issues and general effectiveness 
of the Treaty, staying apart on political issues (Russia/Ukraine, China). 

In terms of security measures, Serbia continued implementing its Security of Information Agreement 
with the EU on procedures for exchanging and protecting classified information. 

On  common  security  and  defence  policy  (CSDP),  Serbia  continued  to  actively  participate  and 
contribute substantially to EU military crisis management missions and operations in Africa and to 
EUNAVFOR Atalanta in the Western Indian Ocean and in the Red Sea. Serbia still needs to put in 
place the legislation needed to implement the 2023 law on participation of civilians in international 
missions  and  operations,  as  well  as  the  institutional  framework  required  to  become  eligible  to 
contribute to civilian CSDP missions. Serbia contributes to cooperation in military medicine through 
the  Balkan  Medical  Task  Force.  Serbia  also  contributed  to  four  UN  peacekeeping  missions  (often 
joining the contingent of one EU Member State) and maintained its cooperation with NATO and its 
members.  

interference  (FIMI), 

On  hybrid  threats,  foreign 
including 
information  manipulation  and 
disinformation,  remain  a  matter  of  concern  to  be  urgently  addressed.  In  December  2024,  the  TV 
broadcaster  Russia  Today  Balkan  was  officially  launched  and  became  available  on  channels  and 
services  of state operator Telekom  Srbija.  There have  been  worrying reports  about  Serbian  citizens 
and the Serbian territory being involved in Russian hybrid operations, including subversive activities 
in  the  wake  of  Moldovan  elections.  As  a  consequence,  a  number  of  persons  were  detained  by  the 
Serbian authorities. On cyber in the context of international security, Serbia has actively engaged in 
the negotiations of the final report of the 2021-2025 Open Ended Working Group on security of and 
in the use of information and communications technologies, including through alignment with the EU 
Statements. 

95 

 
 
   
 
ANNEX I - RELATIONS BETWEEN THE EU AND SERBIA  

As  part  of  the  accession  negotiations,  22  chapters  have  been  opened,  two  of  which  have  been 
provisionally closed (Chapters 25 and 26). In line with the revised enlargement methodology, which 
Serbia accepted, negotiation chapters are grouped in six thematic clusters, and negotiations should be 
opened for each cluster as a whole – after fulfilling opening benchmarks – rather than on individual 
chapters.  All  chapters  of  cluster  1  (fundamentals)  and  cluster  4  (green  agenda  and  sustainable 
connectivity)  have  been  opened.  Cluster  3  (competitiveness  and  inclusive  growth)  is  the  most 
advanced after those and in line to be opened next. Serbia tabled its negotiating positions on Chapters 
2, 3, 10, 16, 19 and 28. 

Serbia is participating in the Stabilisation and Association Process. Serbia continued to build a track 
record  in  implementing  the  obligations  of  the  Stabilisation  and  Association  Agreement  (SAA). 
However, Serbian legislation still does not comply with the SAA in a number of areas, including on 
restrictions on the acquisition of real estate and on discriminatory practices in issuing payment cards 
by banks. On public procurement, intergovernmental agreements concluded with third countries and 
their  implementation  do  not  follow  the  EU  principles  of  equal  treatment,  transparency,  non-
discrimination  and  competition  for  the  majority  of  the  value  of  public  procurement  contracts.  As  a 
result,  EU  companies  are  prevented  from  participating  in  large-scale  infrastructure  projects  in  the 
country. 

Regular  political  and  economic  dialogue  between  the  EU  and  Serbia  has  continued.  Subcommittee 
meetings  were  held,  together  with  a  meeting  of  a  special  group  on  public  administration  reform. 
Serbia also participates in the ministerial dialogue between the economic and finance ministers of the 
EU and candidate countries, where joint recommendations are adopted. The most recent meeting was 
held on 13 May 2025. 

Economic integration with the EU is strong. The EU is Serbia’s main trading partner. In 2024, the 
EU accounted for 58.3% of Serbia’s total trade. Serbia’s trade deficit with the EU slightly increased to 
EUR 5.2  billion  in  2024,  against  EUR 5.1  billion  in  2023.  In  comparison,  Serbia’s  trade  with  its 
second largest trading partner, CEFTA, accounted for around 9% of total trade. Serbia’s total trade in 
2024 increased further to EUR 68.2 billion. 

Serbia’s  pattern  of  alignment  with  EU  common  foreign  and  security  policy  positions  remained 
largely  unchanged.  Serbia  continued  to  participate  actively  in  EU  crisis  management  missions  and 
operations under the common security and defence policy. 

The Balkans Medical Task Force, in which Serbia participates, benefits from a EUR 6 million 2022 
support measure under the European Peace Facility. 

Visa-free  travel  for  citizens  of  Serbia  travelling  to  the  Schengen  area  has  been  in  force  since 
December 2009. A readmission agreement between the EU and Serbia has been in force since 2008. 
The  Commission’s  December  2024 seventh report  under  the  visa  suspension  mechanism concluded 
that Serbia continues to meet the visa liberalisation requirements. 

Under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance 2021 – 2027 (IPA III)6 a financing decision for 
IPA  2025-27  was  adopted amounting  to  EUR 139.4 million in  support  for  Serbia  covering areas  of 
fundamental reforms, good governance, local development, and acquis alignment. This complements 
EUR 875 million in IPA III support provided under financing decisions adopted in 2021, 2022, 2023, 
and 2024. This comprises two operational programmes on (i) environment and energy, as well as on 
(ii)  employment,  skills,  and  social  inclusion,  amounting  to  total  EUR 340  million  in  EU  support. 

6 Official Journal L 330, 20.9.2021. 

96 

 
 
 
Furthermore,  EUR 288  million  in  EU  support  are  provided  for  the  rural  development  programme, 
IPARD III.  

This  set  of  programmes  are  complemented  by  a  significant  package  of  multi-country  and  regional 
programmes, including the Western Balkans Investment Framework. Additionally, Serbia participates 
in  three  cross-border  cooperation  programmes  with  neighbouring  Western  Balkan  countries  and  in 
transnational  cooperation  programmes  with  Member  States  under 
the  European  Regional 
Development Fund and the IPA Adriatic cross-border programme. The new activities add to ongoing 
programmes under IPA II (2014-2020), which are still providing significant support to the social and 
economic  development  of  the  country  and  contributing  to  key  reforms  in  the  rule  of  law,  public 
administration reform and other sectors. 

Under  the  Reform  and  Growth  Facility,  Serbia  could  benefit  from  an  indicative  allocation  of 
EUR 1.586 billion, to be channelled via a Reform Agenda covering key reforms in four policy areas: 
business  environment  and  private-sector  development;  green  and  digital  transition;  private-sector 
development and business environment; human capital development; and fundamentals / rule of law. 
Disbursement of EU support will be conditional on compliance with the preconditions – including, for 
Serbia  and  Kosovo,  constructive  engagement  in  the  normalisation  of  their  relations  with  a  view  to 
fully  implementing  all  their  respective  obligations  stemming  from  the  Agreement  on  the  Path  to 
Normalisation  and  its  Implementation  Annex  and  all  past  Dialogue  Agreements  and  engage  in 
negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on normalisation of relations. 

Serbia  participates  with  IPA  support  in  the  following  EU  programmes:  Horizon  Europe,  the 
Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises programme, the European 
Cooperation in Science and Technology, Connecting Europe Facility, Erasmus+ and Creative Europe, 
the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme, Employment and Social Innovation, EUREKA 
and the Digital Europe programme. To improve green budgeting practices, Serbia is participating, as 
observer, in two pilot projects under the Technical Support Instrument. Serbia also participates in the 
European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) network, the EU digital agenda for the Western Balkans 
the EU4Digital initiative and Wifi4WB. 

97 

 
 
 
 
Note 

Note 

Annex II – Statistical data 

STATISTICAL DATA (as of 11/09/2025 

Basic data 
Population (thousand) 
Total area of the country (km²) 

National accounts 
Gross domestic product (GDP) (million national currency) 
Gross domestic product (GDP) (million euro) 
GDP per capita (euro) 
GDP per capita (in purchasing power standards (PPS)) 
GDP per capita (in PPS), relative to the EU average (EU-27 = 100) 
Real GDP growth rate: change on previous year of GDP volume (%) 
Employment growth (national accounts data), relative to the previous year (%) 
Labour productivity growth: growth in GDP (in volume) per person employed, relative to the 
previous year (%) 
Unit labour cost growth, relative to the previous year (%) 
*3 year change (T/T-3) in the nominal unit labour cost growth index (2015 = 100) 
Labour productivity per person employed: GDP (in PPS) per person employed relative to EU 
average (EU-27 = 100) 
Gross value added by main sectors 
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries (%) 
Industry (%) 
Construction (%) 
Services (%) 
Final consumption expenditure, as a share of GDP (%) 
Gross fixed capital formation, as a share of GDP (%) 
Exports of goods and services, relative to GDP (%) 
Imports of goods and services, relative to GDP (%) 
Gross fixed capital formation by the general government sector, as a percentage of GDP (%) 

Business 
Industrial production volume index (2015 = 100) 
Number of active enterprises (number) 
Birth rate: number of enterprise births in the reference period (t) divided by the number of 
enterprises active in t (%) 
Death rate: number of enterprise deaths in the reference period (t) divided by the number of 
enterprises active in t (%) 

Note 

98 

2012 
7 217 i 
77 594 iw 

2012 
3 967 884 
35 074 
4 870 
10 712 
41.2 
-  0.4 
0 p 
-  1 p 

10 p 
23.8 p 
54 p 

7.1 
27.9 
4.0 
61.2 i 
94.4 
19.9 
34.4 
47.7 
: 

2012 
95.0  
: 
: 

: 

2021 
6 872 i 
77 594 iw 

2021 
6 576 024 
55 931 
8 180 
14 929 
45.0 
7.9 
1 p 
7 p 

2 p 
16.3 p 
47 p 

6.2 
22.9 
6.2 
64.7 i 
82.7 
23.1 
52.3 
60.0 
: 

2020 
6 927 i 
77 594 iw 

2020 
5 764 148 
49 024 
7 110 
13 422 
44.1 b 
-  1.0 
-  1 p 
0 p 

9 p 
16.7 p 
47 p 

6.0 
23.4 
5.6 
64.8 i 
84.0 
21.4 
46.1 
54.2 
: 

2020 
111.0 
: 
: 

2022 
6 797 i 
77 539 iw 

2023 
6 641 i 
77 539 iw 

2024 
6 605 i 
77 539 iw 

2022 
7 458 762 p 
63 501 p 
9 530 p 
16 449 p 
45.7 p 
2.6 p 
0 p 
3 p 

2023 
8 817 763 p 
75 204 p 
11 350 p 
18 650 p 
48.9 p 
3.8 p 
0 p 
4 p 

2024 
9 638 519 p 
82 321 p 
12 510 p 
20 365 p 
51.3 p 
3.9 p 
1 p 
3 p 

10 p 
22.5 p 
46 p 

6.3 p 
24.1 p 
5.6 p 
64.0 pi 
84.0 p 
23.9 p 
60.7 p 
71.2 p 
: 

10 p 
24.4 p 
: 

4.4 p 
22.2 p 
5.9 p 
67.5 pi 
79.7 p 
23.4 p 
55.1 p 
59.4 p 
: 

11 p 
34.8 p 
: 

3.7 p 
21.5 p 
5.9 p 
69.0 pi 
80.5 p 
23.6 p 
54.2 p 
58.8 p 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
: 

2021 
118.5 
213 099 
11.1 i 

2022 
120.6 
205 316 
11.5 i 

2023 
123.4 
210 715 
12.5 i 

: 

5.9 i 

13.6 i 

9.9 i 

: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
People employed in SMEs as a share of all persons employed (within the non-financial 
business economy) (%) 
Value added by SMEs (in the non-financial business economy) (EUR million) 
Total value added (in the non-financial business economy) (EUR million) 

Inflation rate and house prices 
Consumer price index (CPI), change relative to the previous year (%) 

Balance of payments 
Balance of payments: current account total (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: trade balance (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net services (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net balance for primary income (million euro) 
Balance of payments current account: net balance for secondary income (million euro) 
Net balance for primary and secondary income: of which government transfers (million euro) 
*3 year backward moving average of the current account balance relative to GDP (%) 
*Five year change in share of world exports of goods and services (%) 
Net balance (inward - outward) of foreign direct investment (FDI) (million euro) 
Foreign direct investment (FDI) abroad (million euro) 
of which FDI of the reporting economy in the EU-27 countries (million euro) 
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the reporting economy (million euro) 
of which FDI of the EU-27 countries in the reporting economy (million euro) 
*Net international investment position, relative to GDP (%) 
Year on year rate of change in gross inflow of remittances (in national currency) from migrant 
workers (%) 

Public finance 
General government deficit / surplus, relative to GDP (%) 
General government gross debt relative to GDP (%) 
Total government revenues, as a percentage of GDP (%) 
Total government expenditure, as a percentage of GDP (%) 

Financial indicators 
Gross external debt of the whole economy, relative to GDP (%) 
Gross external debt of the whole economy, relative to total exports (%) 
Money supply: M1 (banknotes, coins, overnight deposits, million euro) 
Total credit by monetary financial institutions to residents (consolidated) (million euro) 
*Annual change in financial sector liabilities (%) 
*Private debt, consolidated, relative to GDP (%) 

1) 

1) 

Note 

Note 

Note 

Note 
2) 

3) 

: 

: 
: 

: 

: 
: 

89.72 b 

90.15 

90.12 

16 050 bi 
29 297 b 

19 476 i 
35 231 

21 895 i 
40 593 

: 

: 
: 

2012 
7.4 d 

2020 
1.8 d 

2021 
4.0 d 

2022 
11.7 d 

2023 
12.1 d 

2024 
4.8 d 

2012 
- 3 672.0 
- 5 635.0 
111.0 
- 1 098.0 
2 949.0 
69.0 
: 
: 
752.8 w 
256.0 w 
: 
1 008.8 w 
: 
: 
: 

2012 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2020 
- 2 034.0 
- 5 200.0 
1 101.0 
- 1 529.0 
3 594.0 
252.0 
-  5.2 
38.4 
2 938.5 w 
100.4 w 
C 
3 038.9 w 
C 
-  86.2 
: 

2020 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2021 
- 2 296.0 
- 5 923.0 
1 399.0 
- 2 059.0 
4 287.0 
294.0 
-  5.0 
31.0 
3 656.9 w 
229.1 w 
-  43.0 
3 886.0 w 
1 758.0 
-  79.2 
: 

2021 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2022 
- 4 139.0 
- 9 352.0 
2 315.0 
- 3 013.0 
5 913.0 
553.0 
-  4.9 
33.5 
4 328.2 w 
104.2 w 
-  38.0 
4 432.5 w 
1 392.0 
-  77.6 
: 

2022 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2023 
- 1 804.0 
- 6 629.0 
3 103.0 
- 3 915.0 
5 638.0 
341.0 
-  4.3 
43.5 
4 261.6 w 
302.8 w 
113.0 
4 564.4 w 
2 235.0 
-  65.0 
: 

2023 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2024 
- 3 899.0 
- 6 780.0 
2 761.0 
- 5 151.0 
5 269.0 
100.0 
-  4.6 
40.6 
4 600.4 w 
610.8 w 
: 
5 211.1 w 
: 
-  61.7 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
: 
: 

2012 
73.1 iw 
223.6 w 
2 714.6 w 
: 
: 
: 

2020 
62.8 iw 
138.2 w 
10 376.6 w 
: 
: 
: 

2021 
65.2 iw 
126.6 w 
11 915.9 w 
: 
: 
: 

2022 
66.0 piw 
110.2 w 
12 237.3 w 
: 
: 
: 

2023 
60.4 piw 
110.7 w 
14 948.1 w 
: 
: 
: 

2024 
60.5 piw 
115.9 w 
17 419.0 w 
: 
: 
: 

99 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest rates: day-to-day money rate, per annum (%) 
Euro exchange rates: average of period (1 euro = … national currency) 
Trade-weighted effective exchange rate index, 42 countries (2015 = 100) 
*3 year change (T/T-3) in the trade-weighted effective exchange rate index, 42 countries 
(2015 = 100) 
Value of reserve assets (including gold) (million euro) 

9.81 w 
113.128 
: 
: 

0.08 w 
117.578 
: 
: 

0.23 w 
117.573 
: 
: 

4.00 w 
117.459 
: 
: 

5.23 w 
117.251 
: 
: 

4.45 w 
117.085 
: 
: 

- 1 138.0 

271.0 

2 620.0 

2 919.0 

5 104.0 

2 834.0 

External trade in goods 
Value of imports: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Value of exports: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Trade balance: all goods, all partners (million euro) 
Terms of trade (export price index / import price index * 100) (number) 
Share of exports to EU-27 countries in value of total exports (%) 
Share of imports from EU-27 countries in value of total imports (%) 

Demography 
Crude rate of natural change of population (natural growth rate): number of births minus 
deaths (per thousand inhabitants) 
Infant mortality rate deaths of children under one year of age (per thousand live births) 
Life expectancy at birth: male (years) 
Life expectancy at birth: female (years) 

Labour market 
Economic activity rate for persons aged 20–64: proportion of the population aged 20–64 that 
is economically active (%) 
Employment rate for persons aged 20–64: proportion of the population aged 20–64 that are 
in employment (%) 
Male employment rate for persons aged 20–64 (%) 
Female employment rate for persons aged 20–64 (%) 
Employment rate for persons aged 55–64: proportion of the population aged 55–64 that are 
in employment (%) 
Employment by main sectors 
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries (%) 
Industry (%) 
Construction (%) 
Services (%) 
People employed in the public sector as a share of total employment, persons aged 20–64 
(%) 
People employed in the private sector as a share of total employment, persons aged 20–64 
(%) 
Unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force that is unemployed (%) 

100 

Note 

Note 

Note 

2012 
13 522 
8 251 
- 5 271 
97.8 iw 
61.1 iw 
57.1 iw 

2012 
-  4.9 

6.2 
72.3 
77.5 

2012 
64.5 

49.0 

56.9 
41.2 
31.6 

21.0 i 
21.3 i 
5.2 i 
52.5 i 
: 

: 

24.1 

2020 
21 482 
16 464 
- 5 019 
103.4 iw 
66.2 iw 
55.6 iw 

2021 
27 332 
21 053 
- 6 279 
106.1 iw 
65.8 iw 
53.9 iw 

2022 
36 739 
26 354 
- 10 386 
102.0 iw 
66.0 iw 
51.9 iw 

2023 
35 217 
27 039 
- 8 178 
103.6 iw 
65.7 iw 
53.6 iw 

2024 
38 103 
28 944 
- 9 159 
105.6 piw 
63.4 iw 
53.1 iw 

2020 
-  8.0 

5.0 
71.6 
77.5 

2020 
72.5 

65.9 

72.9 
58.9 
52.2 

14.6 i 
22.6 i 
5.4 i 
57.5 i 
: 

: 

9.1 

2021 
-  10.9 

4.7 
70.0 
75.7 

2021 
74.5 b 

66.2 b 

73.6 b 
58.9 b 
50.3 b 

14.2 bi 
23.6 bi 
6.0 bi 
56.2 bi 
: 

: 

11.2 b 

2022 
-  6.9 

4.0 
72.7 b 
77.9 b 

2022 
75.9 

68.8 

75.8 
61.8 
53.6 

13.9 i 
23.8 i 
5.9 i 
56.4 i 
: 

: 

9.6 

2023 
-  5.4 

4.7 
73.8 b 
78.6 b 

2023 
76.8 

69.6 

75.9 
63.4 
56.7 

13.1 i 
23.5 i 
5.9 i 
57.4 i 
: 

: 

9.5 

2024 
-  5.7 

: 
: 
: 

2024 
78.0 

71.3 

77.2 
65.5 
58.7 

12.8 i 
23.0 i 
6.0 i 
58.2 i 
: 

: 

8.6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Male unemployment rate (%) 
Female unemployment rate (%) 
Youth unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force aged 15–24 that is unemployed (%) 
Long-term unemployment rate: proportion of the labour force that has been unemployed for 
12 months or more (%) 
Unemployment rate for persons (aged 25–64) having completed at most lower secondary 
education (ISCED levels 0-2) (%) 
Unemployment rate for persons (aged 25–64) having completed tertiary education (ISCED 
levels 5-8) (%) 

Social cohesion 
Average nominal monthly wages and salaries (national currency) 
Index of real wages and salaries (index of nominal wages and salaries divided by the 
inflation index) (2016 = 100) 
Gini coefficient 
Poverty gap 

Standard of living 
Number of passenger cars relative to population size (number per thousand population) 
Number of mobile phone subscriptions relative to population size (number per thousand 
population) 
Mobile broadband penetration (per 100 inhabitants) 
Fixed broadband penetration (per 100 inhabitants) 

Infrastructure 
Density of railway network (lines in operation per thousand km²) 

Length of motorways (kilometres) 

Education, Innovation and Research 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8) 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8), 
males 
Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a tertiary education level (ISCED 2011 levels 5 to 8), 
females 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over) 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over), males 
Participation in early childhood education (children aged 3 and over), females 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in reading 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in mathematics 
Low achieving 15-year-olds in science 

101 

23.4 
25.1 
51.2 
17.0 

23.3 

15.9 

8.8 
9.5 
26.6 
4.4 

9.6 

7.6 

10.3 b 
12.2 b 
26.0 b 
5.0 

14.6 b 

8.3 b 

9.1 
10.1 
24.3 
3.9 

12.9 

5.9 

9.1 
9.9 
25.0 
3.8 

13.3 

6.4 

8.4 
8.9 
23.0 
3.4 

12.7 

6.2 

Note 
4) 5) 

2012 
57 430 w 
104 w 

2020 
82 984 w 
123 w 

2021 
90 784 w 
129 w 

2022 
103 316 w 
131 w 

2023 
118 599 w 
134 w 

2024 
135 403 w 
147 w 

: 
: 

33.8 
28.7 

33.3 
29.8 

32.6 
25.7 

31.7 
28.6 

Note 

2012 
229.6 iw 
1 269.3 w 

2020 
315.0 
1 192.6 w 

2021 
329.0 
1 250.8 w 

2022 
352.0 
1 465.2 w 

2023 
362.0 
1 304.5 w 

Note 

Note 

: 
: 

2012 
49.2 iw 

: 

2012 
24.6 
20.3 

29.0 

: 
: 
: 
33.1 
38.9 
35.0 

: 
34 w 

2020 
43.2 iw 

928 

2020 
33.0 
27.1 

39.1 

69.1 
69.0 
69.3 
: 
: 
: 

: 
35 w 

2021 
43.4 iw 

928 

2021 
35.3 b 
27.8 b 

42.9 b 

67.5 
67.3 
67.7 
: 
: 
: 

: 
35 w 

2022 
43.6 iw 

941 

2022 
36.1 
30.7 

41.6 

69.2 
69.2 
69.3 
36.4 
43.1 
35.1 

: 
35 w 

2023 
43.6 iw 

963 

2023 
38.2 
29.8 

46.9 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

31.9 
29.1 

2024 
377.0 
: 

: 
: 

2024 
: 

: 

2024 
40.0 
32.3 

48.0 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of persons aged 18-24 with at most 
lower secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of men aged 18-24 with at most lower 
secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 
Early leavers from education and training: proportion of women aged 18-24 with at most 
lower secondary education (at most ISCED 2011 level 2) who are not in further education or 
training 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks) 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks), men 
Proportion of persons aged 25-64 having participated in education and training (last 4 
weeks), women 
Exposure of vocational education and training (VET) graduates to work-based learning (% of 
population aged 20-34) 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74) 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74), males 
Share of individuals having at least basic digital skills (% of population aged 16-74), females 
Public expenditure on education relative to GDP (%) 
Gross domestic expenditure on R&D relative to GDP (%) 
Government budget appropriations or outlays on R&D (GBAORD), as a percentage of GDP 
(%) 
Percentage of households who have internet access at home (%) 

Environment 
Index of greenhouse gas emissions,  CO2 equivalent (1990 = 100) 
Energy intensity of the economy (kg of oil equivalent per 1 000 euro GDP at 2015 constant 
prices) 
Electricity generated from renewable sources relative to gross electricity consumption (%) 
Road share of inland freight transport (based on tonne-km) (%) 

Energy 
Primary production of all energy products (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of crude oil (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of solid fuels (thousand TOE) 
Primary production of gas (thousand TOE) 
Net imports of all energy products (thousand TOE) 
Gross inland energy consumption (thousand TOE) 
Gross electricity generation (GWh) 

8.1 

8.7 

7.4 

3.6 

3.4 

3.8 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
0.82 
: 

: 

2012 
75.4 w 
421.4 

28.5 
33.8 w 

2012 
10 793 
1 229 
7 278 
425 
4 082 i 
14 607 
36 799 

5.6 

5.4 

5.8 

3.7 

3.3 

4.0 

: 

: 
: 
: 
: 
0.86 
0.44 

81.0 

2020 
78.0 w 
392.0 

30.7 
64.9 w 

2020 
10 963 
921 
7 205 
325 
4 795 i 
15 950 
37 956 

7.7 b 

8.7 b 

6.6 b 

4.8 b 

4.2 b 

5.3 b 

17.1 

41.3 
43.9 
38.8 
: 
0.95 
0.40 

81.5 

2021 
75.8 w 
370.3 

29.9 
62.0 w 

2021 
10 179 
894 
6 282 
288 
5 652 i 
16 231 
38 236 

5.7 

6.5 

5.0 

5.1 

4.4 

5.7 

17.2 

: 
: 
: 
3.0 p 
0.92 
0.37 

83.2 

2022 
76.4 w 
365.2 

30.1 
62.5 w 

2022 
9 617 
881 
5 979 
261 
7 381 i 
16 428 
35 510 

5.8 

5.8 

5.9 

6.1 

5.5 

6.7 

21.4 

33.6 
35.5 
31.8 
: 
0.88 
0.36 

85.4 

2023 
: 
: 

31.7 
66.1 w 

2023 
9 508 
886 
5 504 
251 
6 699 i 
15 966 
40 028 

6.2 

6.8 

5.7 

5.5 

4.9 

6.1 

21.0 

: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
0.40 

88.9 

2024 
: 
: 

: 
: 

2024 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 
: 

Note 

Note 

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Agriculture 
Agricultural output volume index (at producer prices) (2015 = 100) 
Utilised agricultural area (thousand hectares) 
Livestock numbers: live bovine animals (thousand heads, end of period) 
Livestock numbers: live swine (thousand heads, end of period) 
Livestock numbers: live sheep and live goats (thousand heads, end of period) 
Raw milk available on farms (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: cereals (including rice) (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: sugar beet (thousand tonnes) 
Harvested crop production: vegetables (thousand tonnes) 

Source: Eurostat and/or the statistical authorities in Serbia 

Note 

2012 
81.7 w 
3 485.9 
921.0 e 
3 139.0 e 
1 867.0 i 
: 
6 354.9 
2 483.0 
915.8 

2020 
116.0 w 
3 506.5 
886.0 
2 983.0 
1 887.0 i 
1 583.7 
11 447.6 
2 018.2 
720.1 

2021 
110.2 w 
3 506.1 
860.0 
2 868.0 
1 890.0 i 
1 563.5 
10 236.4 
2 048.2 
795.7 

2022 
101.4 w 
3 488.8 
799.8 
2 667.0 
1 912.5 i 
1 512.1 
8 012.9 
1 667.1 
815.8 

2023 
104.9 w 
3 396.3 
725.4 
2 141.0 
1 863.9 i 
1 416.8 
10 809.3 
2 040.6 
704.7 

2024 
: 
: 
698.6 
2 349.2 
1 878.5 i 
: 
8 687.1 
1 922.9 
855.6 

: = not available 
b = break in series 
C =  confidential value 
d =  definition differs 
e = estimated value 
p = provisional 
i = Eurostat estimate 

w= data supplied by and under the responsibility of the national statistical authority and published on an "as is" basis and 
without any assurance as regards their quality and adherence to EU statistical methodology 
* = Macroeconomic Imbalance Procedure (MIP) indicator 

Footnotes: 

1)  From the reference year 2021 a part of unincorporated enterprises which provide annual financial report are included. Also 

beside NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to N (except K), are covered sections P to R and Divisions S95 and S96, which must be 
taken into account when comparing with the data until 2021. 

2)  Official external debt of the Republic of Serbia. 
3)  The money supply M1 consists of currency in circulation and funds in giro, current and other accounts belonging to the 

owners of money balances in banks' liabilities, including money balances in the accounts of local government bodies, i.e. 
accounts from which payments can be made without any restrictions. 

4)  Wages and salaries paid to employees of legal entities and of unincorporated enterprises. 
5)  Wages and salaries are obtained from administrative sources (tax administration records). Average earnings are calculated 

on the basis of the total amount of accrued earnings for the reporting month and the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) 
employees. 

103