Serbia’s progress towards European Union integration has encountered significant delays, with anticipated milestones such as the opening of Cluster 3 (Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth) and accession to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) yet to be achieved.
Despite expectations set by Serbian officials for these developments to occur by early 2025, neither has materialised. The National Bank of Serbia (NBS) attributes the postponement of SEPA membership to technical issues, noting that certain legislative measures were not enacted by the National Assembly before the critical meeting of the European Payments Council (EPC) on 6 March. Consequently, Serbia’s application was not considered during this session.
In contrast, Moldova and North Macedonia were granted SEPA membership during the same EPC meeting, joining Albania and Montenegro, which had been admitted in November 2024. SEPA aims to streamline and harmonise electronic payments across Europe, reducing costs and enhancing efficiency. To join, countries must align their legal and technical frameworks with EU payment system regulations.
Serbia’s EU accession negotiations have remained stagnant since December 2021, following the opening of Cluster 4. Although the European Commission has acknowledged that Serbia meets the technical criteria for opening Cluster 3, a lack of consensus among EU member states has impeded further progress.
In late 2024, Serbian officials engaged in diplomatic efforts to persuade EU member states to approve the opening of Cluster 3, including submitting a non-paper outlining proposed reforms. However, many of these measures have yet to be implemented, contributing to the current impasse in Serbia’s EU integration process.
