Debate: Report on Serbia
Date: TUESDAY, 5 JULY 2022
Speaker: Janez Lenarčič
Language: EN

There have been significant improvements, including those that allowed the participation of all political forces. But the challenges remain. Therefore, the work needs to continue to further strengthen the functioning of democratic institutions. I welcome that final election results have been published earlier today by the Central Election Commission, thus paving the way for the constitution of the new Parliament. The Commission is determined to work with Serbia’s leadership and the new government to make further progress on accession negotiations. The progress made by Serbia on EU-related reforms has allowed us to open, last December for the first time, a cluster of four chapters on the green agenda and sustainable connectivity. This was an important signal for Serbia. It confirmed that the EU responds positively to reform progress. And it also sent a strong message that the EU is stepping up engagement on the green agenda for the benefit of all citizens. However, reforms need to continue. Building on the momentum of last December and on the successful January referendum on the constitutional amendments, we expect Serbia to deliver real and tangible results, in particular in the area of the rule of law and on dialogue with Pristina. Both are essential and they will determine the overall pace of Serbia’s EU accession negotiations. Serbia needs to continue to accelerate and deepen reforms on the independence of the judiciary. The fight against corruption and organised crime, media freedom and the domestic handling of war crimes. The Commission will continue to report on and assess Serbia’s progress in this respect.  The recent agreement reached under the EU facilitated dialogue on the energy agreement's implementation roadmap is an important step forward that will hopefully unlock discussions on other outstanding issues. In the current geopolitical context, Serbia has demonstrated its commitment to EU values by aligning with the number of EU declarations and by supporting relevant UN General Assembly resolutions on Ukraine. We now expect Serbia to continue to show this commitment and step up its efforts in progressively aligning with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, including declarations and restrictive measures in line with the EU-Serbia negotiating framework.  In this regard, it is also important that Serbia decreases its dependence on Russian gas. The beginning of works on the Serbia Bulgaria gas interconnector, for which the EU provided almost EUR 50 million, is an important joint step toward securing and diversifying gas supply for Serbia. We are also supporting cybersecurity and EU oriented strategic communication, including fighting Russian disinformation across the region.  Let me underline that the EU is and will remain Serbia’s main political. And by far the main economic partner. We will continue to support Serbia’s economic recovery, energy, food security and society, including through the significant support made available under the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. Thank you for your attention and I look forward to our discussion.