site.btaBrussels Report Serves as Roadmap for Serbia, Parliament Speaker Says

The President of Serbia's National Assembly, Ana Brnabic, said on Tuesday that the European Commission’s annual report on the country’s progress towards European integration is an extremely important document for Serbia.

Quoted by Serbian media, Brnabic stated: “We may agree with some parts of this report, or we may not — that is neither unusual nor strange. It is practically the same every year, but without doubt, it is the most important document for our European integration. The European Commission’s annual progress reports serve as a roadmap for what we need to do next to accelerate our European path and move closer to full EU membership.”

She noted that the report serves as a roadmap for both the executive and legislative branches of government in Serbia. While it contains negative assessments and criticism of certain reforms, it also recognizes progress — particularly in the area of the economy.

According to Brnabic, reforms in Serbia have been significantly slowed down due to “the great mistrust between the three actors involved in implementing them: the government, the ruling majority and civil society.”

On November 4, the European Commission presented its annual reports on the progress of the countries aspiring to accede the European Union. The documents assess the advancement of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Turkiye, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia on their path toward EU membership. The report on Serbia says that the polarization in society has deepened against the background of mass protests taking place across Serbia since November 2024. While acknowledging some recent positive developments, Brussels urges the country to reverse the backsliding on freedom of expression and the erosion of academic freedom.