Mitteilungen

Statement by the Chair of the European Parliament Delegation to the EU-Serbia SAPC Alessandra Moretti

Press Release

21-06-2023

Following the 15th meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, Chair Alessandra Moretti (S&D, IT) made the following statement:

We regret that it was not possible to reach agreement on a joint statement of the Co-Chairs of the SAPC.

People across Serbia, and we all, are deeply shaken by the terrible events which unfolded on 3 and 4 May and led to the loss of many innocent lives. Our Delegation visited the elementary school Vladislav Ribnikar to pay our respects and sign the book of condolences. We mourn that so many lives were stolen or changed forever in a matter of minutes, first at this school and shortly after in villages near Mladenovac.

Many citizens have since then been expressing their unease about the level of violence in Serbian society. They are anxious about the deteriorating discourse, both in public and in their parliament. So far seven protest marches have taken place. It is crucial that all act responsibly, so that citizens can continue to express their opinions peacefully, safely and without fear. We count on the police and the authorities to fulfil their duties and secure a safe space for these protests. We are aware of the demands of the protesters and have concluded that many of these demands concern issues that are also addressed in the resolution on Serbia that our Parliament adopted on 10 May this year.

The Serbian Parliament must remain the forum where the problems that the country is facing, but also the desired EU membership, are debated and decided upon seriously, orderly and respectfully. Unfortunately, the quality of the debates has been increasingly deteriorating in recent times. This is a worrying development, and a special responsibility lies with the political actors in the country. We call on all of them to live up to the challenges of the moment, to behave in a civilised way, refrain from hate speech and treat those who hold a different opinion with due respect. We are deeply concerned about the media freedom situation in Serbia and call on the media to act responsibly and objectively, and observe professional journalistic standards and ethics.

We are also deeply worried about the state of play of the Belgrade-Pristina Dialogue and the latest developments in the north of Kosovo. We reiterate that all incidents need to be duly investigated and that there cannot be impunity. The European Parliament is following the situation very closely, and we urge all parties involved to do what it takes to de-escalate tensions immediately.

We want to stress once again that the European Parliament stands in solidarity with Ukraine and that we expect the same from all candidate countries, as EU membership is their declared strategic objective and they therefore need to subscribe to our community of values. Regrettably, Serbia stands out as the only Western Balkan country that has so far not aligned with EU sanctions on Russia. As a result, its CFSP alignment has decreased significantly. This is also mirrored in our resolution of 10 May, in which we reiterate our position that 'accession negotiations with Serbia should advance only if the country aligns with EU sanctions against Russia and makes significant progress on EU-related reforms'.

Finally, we also recognise some reforms which still need to be implemented as well as recent positive developments, which include economic progress in Serbia and the increase of EU support, which amounts to EUR 400 million per year over 2020-2022.

SAPC Co-Chair calls on Serbia to align with EU sanctions

Press Release

24-11-2022

Statement by Alessandra MORETTI, Chair of the EP Delegation to the EU‑Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee.

Following the 14th meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) the Chair of the EP Delegation to the EU-Serbia SAPC said:

"I welcome that its 14th meeting in Strasbourg the SAPC adopted joint recommendations noting that at this moment Serbia has not aligned with any EU restrictive measures against Russia following its war of aggression against Ukraine. In the current geopolitical context, alignment of accession countries with the EU's common foreign and security policy is crucial and we need Serbia as an ally to demonstrate progress in this respect. I call on the Serbian authorities to align with EU restrictive measures as a matter of priority and refrain from actions that go in the opposite direction. Serbia needs to make a clear and resolute choice for Europe.

The limited progress or lack of progress in multiple key EU integration areas is increasingly a matter of concern for us. In the field of media freedom and freedom of expression, implementation of the media strategy remains key, and violence against and intimidation of journalists and other media workers are not compatible with Serbia's aspirations to join the EU.

I welcome the return to a more pluralistic National Assembly following the 3 April elections. I also welcome Serbia's continued engagement on the path of integration into the EU and encourage the new government to actively promote this strategic decision among the Serbian public whose support for EU accession is currently the lowest in the region.

The overall progress of Serbia's EU accession process, besides alignment with EU restrictive measures against Russia, continues to depend on rule of law reforms and on the advancement of normalisation talks with Pristina, where both parties bear full responsibility to urgently de-escalate the current crisis and prevent any violence that might occur on the ground.

The EP Delegation to the EU-Serbia SAPC is committed to continuous strengthening of the very good relations between the two parliaments and stands ready to help Serbia progress on its path towards EU membership."

Delegations of the European Parliament and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia met on 23-24 November, for the 14th meeting of the EU Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms Alessandra Moretti (S&D, IT) and her Serbian counterpart Ms Marinika TEPIĆ (UNITED PG). Parliamentarians held in-depth discussions on a number of key issues, including the implementation of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Serbia's progress in rule of law areas, alignment with EU foreign policy and the Belgrade‑Pristina Dialogue, environmental protection, economic development.

Further information

Serbia: Statement by leading MEPs after the elections

5 April 2022

Vladimír Bilčík and Tanja Fajon welcome a return to a more pluralistic Parliament in Serbia, while regretting the highly polarised political environment of the election campaign.

Following the parliamentary and presidential elections on 3 April 2022, the Standing Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, SK) and the Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee Tanja Fajon (S&D, SL), issued the following statement on Tuesday:

"We welcome the increased voter turnout and the return to a more pluralistic Parliament in Serbia following the extensive participation of parties and candidates from a broad political spectrum in the 3 April elections.

We regret the highly polarised political environment of the campaign, marked by limited media pluralism and government pressure on voters. We condemn the violent attack on one of the opposition leaders, Pavle Grbović, on Election Day. We regret that Serbs from Kosovo were unable to cast their votes close to their homes with the assistance of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as has been the case on a number of previous occasions. We also regret the unclear communication by the Republic Electoral Commission (REC) on preliminary election results following the closure of polling stations.

We are ready to work with the newly composed Parliament on concrete measures to strengthen democracy and rule of law in Serbia. It is also important to implement the recommendations that will be presented by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights mission. These steps can move forward the European agenda to the benefit of all Serbian citizens."

Background

On 3 April 2022, Serbia held presidential, early parliamentary and Belgrade city elections, which took place amid strong polarisation between the ruling parties and the opposition. The elections were held in an environment overshadowed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and against the background of citizens' protests related to environmental issues and the adoption of the Law on Expropriation and the Law on the Referendum and the People's Initiative. The Inter-Party Dialogue process between the government and the opposition, mediated by members of the European Parliament, resulted in the adoption of a number of measures to improve the electoral process. The previous parliamentary elections in Serbia took place in June 2020 when many of the opposition parties boycotted the elections.

According to the preliminary results of the 3 April elections, the coalition around the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) won 42.97 percent of the vote, followed by the Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS) with 11.5 percent, and United for Serbia's Victory with 13.57 percent of the votes.

In the presidential elections, SNS candidate and the incumbent president Aleksandar Vučić won 58.59 percent of the vote and the main opposition United for Serbia's Victory candidate Zdravko Ponoš won 18.32 percent.

Further information

Serbia: Leading MEPs regret Serbia’s non-alignment with EU sanctions against Russia

1 March 2022

Following the adoption of the EP resolution on the Russian aggression against Ukraine, leading MEPs on Serbia issued the following statement on Tuesday.

"The unity of the international community in standing up against Putin's aggression on Ukraine is essential for any attempt to foster peace and to avoid the spread of Kremlin's war. We expect Serbia to align fully with the Common Foreign and Security Policy of European Union, including the sanctions adopted against the regime in Russia. We see this as an important and urgent signal that Serbia supports the principles and values of the European Union and is committed to working together with the European partners towards peace. The international situation has changed dramatically since last week and there is no room for appeasement of the aggressor."

Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, SK), Standing Rapporteur for Serbia

Tanja Fajon (S&D, SL), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

Background

The Serbian government on Sunday adopted a February 25 conclusion by the National Security Council on the crisis in Ukraine. The 15-point conclusion said that, for Serbia, Russia and Ukraine had always been friendly countries and that Serbia provided full and principled support for respect of the principle of Ukraine's territorial integrity. The conclusion also said that Serbia would be governed exclusively by the protection of its own vital economic and political interests when it comes to the issue of sanctions. While Serbia's supports Ukraine's territorial integrity, it has refused to align with EU sanctions against Russia and neither has it unequivocally condemned Russia's military aggression.

Further information

Serbia: leading MEPs welcome constitutional changes approved in referendum

17 January 2022

After citizens voted in the constitutional referendum in Serbia, leading MEPs issued the following statement on Monday.

"We welcome the decision taken by Serbian citizens to support the change in the Constitution to make the justice system more independent. This is an important step on Serbia's EU path to integration.

We are concerned about the reports that electoral boards were not adequately prepared to conduct the voting process. We call on the responsible authorities to ensure improvements are made in this area in the run-up to the upcoming elections. We will continue to monitor the implementation of the constitutional changes as approved by the referendum as well as other reforms to the rule of law.

We regret that no agreement was reached with Kosovo to allow for the ballots of eligible voters living there to be collected, which has been the case previously."


Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, SK), Standing Rapporteur for Serbia

Tanja Fajon (S&D, SL), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee


Background


On 16 January, Serbia held a referendum on constitutional amendments to guarantee that judges and prosecutors are elected without the direct involvement of the National Assembly. Judges and court presidents will be elected exclusively by the High Judicial Council, while prosecutors will be elected by the High Council of Prosecutors. The three-year probationary mandate for judges will also be abolished, as it was one of the major deficiencies in the current Constitution.


According to the Serbian Republic Election Commission (RIK), just over 30 percent of the electorate voted in the referendum, with a majority voting 'yes'. Preliminary data show that 61.84 percent of the voters who turned out voted yes, 37.1 percent voted no and 1.04 percent of the ballots were invalid.

The European Parliament urges Serbia to fully implement measures to improve conduct of elections

Statement by Tanja FAJON, Chair of the EP Delegation to the EU‑Serbia Stabilisation and Association

Following the 13th meeting of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) on Thursday, 28 October, co-Chair Tanja Fajon said:

"As Serbia is heading for elections in six months, we call on the Serbian authorities and all political actors to fully implement the set of 16 measures aiming at improving the electoral environment that was agreed as a result of the second phase of the EP-facilitated Inter-Party Dialogue. Full and timely implementation of all outstanding OSCE/ODIHR recommendations, before the April 2022 elections, is also of the essence. The European Parliament will continue to monitor the implementation of the 16 measures, but the actual improvement of electoral conditions and of the overall political climate in Serbia ultimately lies in the hands of the political actors, decision‑makers and institutions in Serbia. I encourage all political forces to participate in the next elections and thus pave the way for a more pluralistic parliament.

I welcome the European Commission's recent recommendation to open two new clusters in accession talks with Serbia. However, it is important to recall that Serbia did not open any new chapters since December 2019 because of the lack of progress in the area of the rule of law, where further urgent action and reforms are necessary. While recent steps to address some shortcomings are to be welcomed, consistent efforts and tangible progress are paramount, in particular when it comes to the independence of the judiciary, freedom of expression, media freedom and the fight against corruption and organized crime. Particularly regrettable are the increase in abusive language and instances of intimidation and hate speech targeting extra-parliamentary opposition parties, independent intellectuals, NGOs, journalists, prominent individuals and Members of the European Parliament.

The overall progress of Serbia's EU accession process continues to depend on rule of law reforms and on the advancement of normalisation talks with Pristina. The European Parliament will continue to assist Serbia on this trajectory."

Delegations of the European Parliament and the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia met remotely on 28 October, for the 13th meeting of the EU Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. The meeting was co-chaired by Ms Tanja FAJON (S&D, SL) and her Serbian counterpart Mr Vladimir Orlić (SNS). Parliamentarians held in-depth discussions on a number of key issues, including the implementation of the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement, Serbia's progress in rule of law areas and Serbia's economic development.

Kosovo and Serbia: leading MEPs call for continued dialogue to reduce tensions

28 September 2021

In light of the deeply worrying developments in recent days on the Kosovo-Serbia border, leading MEPs issued this statement.

"We are deeply concerned about the recent tensions at the Jarinje and Brnjak border crossings. Serbia and Kosovo must urgently find a peaceful and sustainable solution in order to ensure the security and safety of all citizens.

We wish to see the withdrawal of special police and any army units and the dismantling of roadblocks. Unilateral actions and provocations and inflammatory rhetoric, which increase tensions and affect the wellbeing of local communities, should stop. We call on the EU and its partners to continue to work on de-escalating the crisis and we urge the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo to use the platform of the EU-facilitated Dialogue to resolve all open issues, including those related to freedom of movement.

We reiterate that the normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo is a precondition for the EU accession of both countries, and is also essential for securing stability and prosperity in the wider region. We urge both sides to actively and constructively re-engage in the EU-facilitated dialogue led by the EU Special Representative, seeking a comprehensive, sustainable and legally binding agreement."

Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), Standing Rapporteur for Serbia

Viola VON CRAMON-TAUBADEL (Greens/EFA, DE), Standing Rapporteur for Kosovo

Tanja FAJON (S&D, SL), Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee

Romeo FRANZ (Greens/EFA, DE), Chair of the Delegation for relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo

Inter-Party Dialogue continues ahead of the upcoming elections in Serbia

10 July 2021

Joint Press Statement by the facilitators the European Parliament and the speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia.

The first round of the second phase of the European Parliament facilitated Inter-Party Dialogue was held on 9 and 10 July in Belgrade. It called for achieving tangible results to improve the level-playing field ahead of the next elections.

EP facilitators of this dialogue were former MEP Knut Fleckenstein with Vladimír Bilčík (EPP, SK), Foreign Affairs Committee Rapporteur for Serbia and Tanja Fajon (S&D, SL), Chair of the Delegation for Relations with Serbia. The National Assembly of Serbia was represented by its Speaker Ivica Dačić.

The Dialogue brought together leaders and representatives of parliamentary groups as well as opposition parties and platforms around the same table for the first time.

"We welcome the presence of a very broad spectrum of political forces and their commitment to the dialogue. We are aware that challenges related to the electoral process still persist and we will work together to address them. We confirm our commitment to support the integrity of the electoral process.

We want to stress the importance of equitable access to media, media pluralism as well as media ethics and standards, particularly in the context of pre-electoral and electoral campaigns.

We now need to seize the momentum created by this dialogue. Today more than ever it is necessary to achieve tangible progresses that can be implemented effectively ahead of the next electoral campaign.

We are ready to support the efforts from the participants in the Inter-Party Dialogue to reach agreement on the electoral conditions"

European Parliament remains committed to support Serbia and the National Assembly of Serbia in the reform processes related to the European integration of the country.


The co-facilitators presented the Conclusions of this round of the Inter-Party Dialogue and agreed to meet in the same format on 17 and 18 September 2021 in Belgrade.

For more information on the Inter-Party Dialogue please check the below link.

Second phase of the Inter-Party Dialogue with the National Assembly of Serbia

02 March 2021

Joint Statement of AFET Chair and DEG Co-chair David MCALLISTER (EPP, DE), Tanja FAJON (S&D, SI) and Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK), following the formal launch the EP facilitated Inter-Party Dialogue process with the National Assembly of Serbia on 1 March 2021

Today, the European Parliament has formally launched the second phase of the Inter-Party Dialogue process with the National Assembly of Serbia, following the first phase that took place in late 2019.

We held a constructive meeting with the Speaker Ivica Dačić, co-facilitator of the process, where we agreed on the subsequent steps that will support consensus and trust building across the political spectrum in Serbia.

We firmly believe that the European Parliament facilitated Inter-Party Dialogue process is in Serbia's best interest and that it is an important element in the country's efforts to further strengthen democracy and enhance citizens' confidence in the institutions and in the electoral process.

In this process, the role of the European Parliament is not to bring ready-made solutions but rather to facilitate a dialogue where political parties could come to an agreement over pertinent issues and topics of their mutual concern and interest.

The four members of the European Parliament's Facilitation Team are Members of the European Parliament Vladimir BILČÍK, the Committee on Foreign Affairs Standing Rapporteur for Serbia, Tanja FAJON, the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Serbia and two former Members of the European Parliament, Eduard KUKAN and Knut Fleckenstein.

During this second phase of the process, the Facilitation Team will be conducting a series of consultations with all relevant stakeholders in Serbia on the agenda of the upcoming round of Inter-Party Dialogue. The team will propose possible participants and topics of common interest identified during these consultations to the National Assembly.

For more information on the Inter-Party Dialogue please check the below link.

Inter-Party Dialogue with Serbia: Statement of the Foreign Affairs Committee Chair

02 February 2021

The European Parliament is ready to continue the facilitation of the Inter-Party Dialogue with the National Assembly of Serbia, says David McAllister.

The Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister (EPP, DE) called on the authorities, decision makers and political actors in Serbia to use the Inter-Party Dialogue as a platform to build consensus on outstanding issues in the country's electoral process.

"I had a very good call with Ivica Dačić and welcome his support of the Inter-Party Dialogue. I firmly believe that the National Assembly and its Speaker play a central role in creating a space for dialogue", said David McAllister after a telephone conversation with the Speaker of the Serbian National Assembly. He also pointed out that the continuation of the Inter-Party Dialogue is in Serbia's best self-interest, especially as it is directly linked to the overarching EU membership process.

Parliament's facilitation team for the Inter-Party Dialogue will be led by AFET's standing Rapporteur for Serbia, Vladimír BILČÍK (EPP, SK) and the Chair of the Delegation for relations with Serbia, Tanja FAJON (S&D, SI). They will be supported in their tasks by former MEPs Eduard Kukan (EPP, SK) and Knut Fleckenstein (S&D, DE).