Clash in the EU Over Serbia’s European Path, Member States Divided on Opening Chapter 3

Serbia’s accession process to the European Union has returned to the center of debate in Brussels, as European institutions examine the possibility of restarting negotiations on opening Chapter 3.

On Wednesday, member states are expected to discuss Belgrade’s request to advance the negotiation process, but within the EU there is still no unified position on whether the steps taken by Serbia to reform the justice system are sufficient.

The European Commission has presented member states with an information document arguing that the latest reforms undertaken by Serbia justify the opening of this chapter. According to the Commission, Belgrade has corrected part of the “backsliding” identified at the beginning of this year and has taken measures to strengthen the capacities of the Prosecutor’s Office for Organized Crime.

However, the Commission itself acknowledges that work still remains to be done in the judicial and prosecutorial systems. The debate in Brussels appears to go beyond a single negotiating chapter. Serbia is seen as a strategically important partner for the European Union, which has created two different approaches among member states.

Some European officials argue that continuing engagement with Belgrade is the most effective way to encourage further reforms, while others are calling for more guarantees on respect for democratic standards, also pointing to Serbia’s stance on EU foreign policy and its refusal to join European sanctions against Russia. The European Commission has stressed that the final decision on opening the chapter belongs to the governments of the member states, through the Council of the European Union.

Meanwhile, relations between Serbian President Aleksandër Vuçiç and Brussels’ representatives in Belgrade have often been tense. Vuçiç has also had public clashes with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos, about whom he said he no longer expects results from meetings with her and that he has nothing more to discuss.

“Dear members of Parliament, given the progress of other countries in the accession process, we do not want to see Serbia left behind. Therefore, because of the recent positive steps, the Commission has again recommended to the Council that it open Cluster 3,” Kos said.

The EU’s upcoming decision is expected to show whether Brussels will choose to push forward Serbia’s integration process, or whether it will demand more evidence that reforms and European standards are being met.