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While Belgrade has made some progress in the judiciary, limited progress was made in the rule of law, the fight against corruption, organised crime, and freedom of expression, according to Serbia’s 2023 report, which the EU Commission will officially release on Wednesday.
“Belgrade must cooperate in investigating the Banjska case and implement agreements reached in the dialogue with Pristina. The level of alignment with the EU’s foreign policy has improved. Still, no restrictive measures have been imposed against Russia, and “some actions and statements by Serbia have been contrary to EU foreign policy positions.”
In the document, the Commission also assesses that Serbia is engaged in the dialogue on normalisation with Pristina but needs to demonstrate a more serious commitment to normalising relations. It also calls for participation of Kosovo Serbs in elections that should be held in the north of Kosovo.
In the area of public administration reform, there is a moderate level of readiness for EU membership. Limited progress has been achieved in the fight against corruption, and the adoption of a national anti-corruption strategy and accompanying action plan is pending.
Limited progress has been made in the fight against organised crime, particularly in detecting and preventing migrant smuggling and human trafficking. Serbia received a mixed assessment for freedom of expression.
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