Serbia applied to join the European Union (EU) in 2009 and has been a candidate for membership since 2012, along with nine other states. Serbia is the largest country in Southeast Europe seeking entry into the EU. A poll in June 2023 found that only 33% of Serbs wanted to join the EU. Obstacles for accession include the requirement to recognize statehood for Kosovo, foreign policy alignment with Russia, democratic backsliding including allegations of fraud in elections in December 2023, and domestic policies such as rule of law and media freedom.

History

Identification

Negotiations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (later the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro) intensified following the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in 2000, and the EU officially declared the Balkan states potential candidates for membership following the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki on 21 June 2003.

Stabilisation and Association Agreement

On 7 November 2007, Serbia initiated a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. The SAA came into force on 1 September 2013.

Recommendation

The European Commission recommended making Serbia an official candidate on 12 October 2011. The Council also made the recommendation on 28 February 2012.

Candidacy

Serbia received full candidate status on 1 March 2012. In December 2013, the Council of the European Union approved opening negotiations for Serbia's accession.

Application

Serbia officially applied for European Union membership on 22 December 2009.

Developmental Aid

Until 2020, Serbia had been receiving €2.9bn of developmental aid from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries.

Chronology of relations with the EU

Foreign Policy

Serbia refused to join international sanctions against Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In response, the European Parliament passed a resolution that stated in part it "strongly regrets Serbia’s non-alignment with EU sanctions against Russia, which damages its EU accession process."

Serbia and Kosovo

The biggest obstacle to Serbia's accession to the EU is its strained relationship with Kosovo, which escalated after the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence. The Serbian government has declared that the status of Kosovo should not be tied to the EU negotiations. In September 2012, the EU Enlargement Commissioner, Štefan Füle, denied that the European Union would insist on Serbia's recognition of Kosovo before it can join the organisation. On 19 April 2013, the governments of Kosovo and Serbia completed the Brussels Agreement, which was hailed as a major step towards normalising relations and enabled the start of EU accession talks with Serbia. In November 2013, Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs Enver Hoxhaj suggested that the EU should approve the accession of Kosovo and Serbia simultaneously due to concerns that if Serbia was admitted first they could veto Kosovo's membership. However, Serbia's accession negotiations were not halted. In March 2021, the European Parliament adopted a report on Serbia, which, amongst other things, emphasized that the normalization of relationships between Serbia and Kosovo is "a priority and a requirement for EU accession."

Negotiations

Public opinion

Serbia was initially supportive of accession in the past due to better relationships with countries in the European Union, as well as for economic reasons. In the last decades because of the support of Kosovo's independence by most European countries, the economic crisis, the better relationships with the United States in addition to giving sanctions against Russia during the Russian invasion in Ukraine, support for EU membership went down. Serbia has become more opposed to the Western NATO bloc and prefer better ties and relationships with, for example, Russia for its shared Eastern Orthodox Christian Slavic traditions and China with its large economy and similar soft alliance with Russia. A February 2024 NSPM poll recorded that 42.8% were for joining the EU, with 36.8% against. The rest were undecided or refused to give the answer. Another poll recorded the question "Would you support joining the EU if recognizing the independence of Kosovo was a condition for joining it?", 76% answered no, compared to 12.2% who said yes. An October 2023 Smart Plus poll found that if a referendum on joining the EU would take place, 44% would vote in favour of joining the EU, with 30% voting against, 15% undecided and 10% abstaining.

Visa liberalisation process

On 1 January 2008, the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement between Serbia and the EU came into effect. On 19 December 2009, Visa requirements were lifted for Serbs travelling to Schengen countries.

Serbia's foreign relations with EU member states