Ambassadors representing European Union member states, gathered at the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) in Brussels, did not approve the opening of Chapter 3 in the accession negotiations with Serbia. The proposal stems from an unofficial document, or non-paper, issued by the European Commission, which recommends advancing the negotiations with Serbia. The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, has recently discussed this recommendation.
Diplomatic sources indicate that eight EU member states voiced opposition to this proposed next step in Serbia’s European integration process. These opposing nations include the Netherlands, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and the three Baltic states—Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. The discussion regarding opening Chapter 3 is also anticipated at the upcoming meeting of the EU Council for Foreign Affairs, scheduled for July 13, which will include the Foreign Ministers.
However, there is currently no indication that the dissenting countries plan to alter their stance. Earlier this month, the European Commission advised member states to approve opening Chapter 3, assessing that Serbia had achieved sufficient progress to proceed to the next phase of accession talks, despite not having met all political objectives. This evaluation was informed by a document from the European Commission and a separate submission from the Serbian Government dated July 3.
Commissioner Kos noted in the European Parliament debate that the recent reforms undertaken by the Serbian government formed the basis for the Commission’s recommendation. She highlighted progress in implementing ODIHR recommendations and cited recent developments concerning the operationalization of the Regulatory Body for Electronic Media (REM) as encouraging signs for Serbia’s path toward European membership.
Topics: #european #chapter #serbia
