EU says Serbia could lose access to a billion euros over democratic backsliding
The Commission is awaiting a Council of Europe review as officials warn the reforms could weaken judicial independence and anti-corruption oversight.
- On Monday, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos told MEPs the European Commission is evaluating whether to suspend €1.5 billion in funding for Serbia due to concerns over judicial reforms introduced in January.
- Kos said these January judicial reforms weakened judicial independence and created a "flawed form of autonomy" for anti-corruption prosecution while the Commission awaits the Venice Commission's assessment.
- Expressing concerns about "laws that undermine the independence of the judiciary," Kos also cited crackdowns on protesters and media meddling, urging authorities to align with international recommendations.
- The Council's Venice Commission, which visited Belgrade in mid-March, is expected to issue an urgent opinion regarding these controversial laws in the coming weeks.
- Serbia's path toward the Union has slowed amid its refusal to impose sanctions on Russia, alongside President Aleksandar's crackdown on protests following a 2024 train station collapse in Novi Sad.
11 Articles
11 Articles
EU Considers Withholding Funds From Serbia Over ‘Rule-of-Law Violations'
Controversial local elections in Serbia have prompted top EU officials to mull suspending €1.5 billion in funding for the country, which began bloc accession negotiations in 2014. Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, at the end of March pointed out “widespread incidents of violence, threats and voting irregularities,” which she said had been observed by the Council of Europe, and stressed: Free and fair elections are fundamenta…
EU considers freezing Serbia's €1.5 billion funds over rule of law
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos warned MEPs about concerns including pressure on the judiciary, restrictions on media freedom, and a crackdown on protests in Serbia, alongside broader political tensions linked to its closer ties with Russia.
She said that the EU will continue to support Serbia on its path to accession.
"As soon as we receive the final opinion of the expert team, which I expect will be by the end of April, and before that we will start working on changes to the law", euronews serbia, euronews serbia, euronews serbia, euronews serbia, euronews, euronews
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