The Netherlands is against the continuation of negotiations between Serbia and the EU

At least five European Union member states oppose the opening of Group 3 with Serbia. The Netherlands has confirmed that it is against continuing negotiations at this time.

The Dutch government does not support the continuation of accession negotiations between the European Union and Serbia with the opening of Group 3 due to the rule of law situation, REL confirmed in The Hague.

The spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement to RSE recalled that the European Council already stated in its conclusions from 2024 that it is essential for Serbia to achieve further significant progress, among other things, in the area of ​​the rule of law.

"The Dutch government's assessment of the 2025 Enlargement Package still remains in place: the opening of Group 3 will not be based on merit at this time, given concerns regarding the rule of law," a spokesperson for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a response.

At least five European Union member states do not support the opening of Group 3.

As RFE/RL has learned from diplomatic sources, at least five European Union member states do not support the opening of Group 3. In addition to the Netherlands, which has officially confirmed this position, among the countries opposing it are, among others, the three Baltic states and Sweden.

The reasons for the opposition are mainly related to the state of the rule of law, while in some countries, as told to RSE, the fact that Serbia did not impose sanctions on Russia due to its invasion of Ukraine cannot be ignored.

The failure to impose sanctions against Russia was the first reason why Serbia's accession negotiation process with the European Union was practically blocked since December 2021. Meanwhile, there was a deterioration in the rule of law, which was reflected in the reports of the European Commission.

Serbia without progress

In its latest non-paper on the rule of law, the European Commission stated that Serbia has not achieved key progress in the areas of the rule of law, the fight against corruption and media freedom, which continue to represent the main obstacle to the continuation of accession negotiations with the EU.

The EU expresses serious concern about the increasing political pressure on the judiciary, the lack of results in processing high-level corruption cases, the increasingly frequent attacks on journalists, as well as the deterioration of the electoral environment.

Cluster 3 refers to competitiveness and inclusive growth and includes eight negotiating chapters. In 2021, the European Commission assessed that the criteria for its opening had been met.

European institutions are considering the possibility of Serbia receiving encouraging political signals in July, a time considered favorable in Brussels for enlargement policy. This initiative is supported by several member states, including France.

However, for the opening or closing of a cluster in accession negotiations, the consent of all European Union member states is necessary.