Serbia

This report provides an overview of the accession process of the Republic of Serbia to the European Union (EU). It examines the prerequisites that the Republic of Serbia had to fulfil before formally applying for EU membership and scrutinises the historical and political peculiarities of Serbia’s accession. The process of European integration of Serbia has been influenced by the disintegration of Yugoslavia, regional conflicts, and relations with the international community, among other such factors. The report covers the long period starting from the Yugoslav era through the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro, and the harmonisation efforts of the Republic of Serbia. Central to Serbia’s accession process have been its commitments to the rule of law and judicial reforms, cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the normalisation of relations between Belgrade and Pristina. The report also explores the impact of the principle of conditionality in the EU’s relations with Serbia. Despite some progress that has been made, the report notes challenges in areas such as judiciary independence, freedom of expression, anti-corruption measures, and normalisation of relations with Pristina, which continue to pose obstacles in Serbia’s pace of EU integration. The report concludes by situating Serbia’s accession within the context of the EU’s new enlargement methodology and assessing Serbia’s readiness to open further negotiation chapters contingent on reform milestones.