The European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) has adopted its annual reports on Serbia and Kosovo, focusing on the ongoing Belgrade–Pristina dialogue and recent protests in Serbia.
The report on Serbia, adopted with a significant majority, expresses concern over the state of democracy, media freedom, and the government’s response to mass protests following the December 2023 elections. It calls for thorough investigations into alleged electoral irregularities and stresses the importance of aligning with the EU’s foreign and security policy.
Tonino Picula, the European Parliament’s rapporteur for Serbia, stated:
“Serbia has stated commitment to EU membership as its strategic goal and its ambition to align fully with the EU acquis by the end of 2026, but there is a need for Serbia to seriously demonstrate that it is strategically oriented towards the EU and to communicate objectively and unambiguously on the EU.”
Meanwhile, the report on Kosovo welcomes progress on EU-related reforms but underscores the need for constructive engagement in the normalization process with Serbia. MEPs urge both sides to implement the EU-facilitated agreements in good faith and refrain from unilateral actions that could further escalate tensions.
Both reports are expected to be debated and voted on at the upcoming plenary session of the European Parliament.