Hungarian presidency pushes for Serbia’s EU talks

Among member states, there was once again no agreement today on opening negotiations with Serbia in Cluster 3, which includes eight chapters, according to diplomatic sources, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

The Hungarian presidency once again placed the issue of opening Cluster 3 – "Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth" – on the agenda of the meeting of ambassadors from EU member states.

This cluster includes eight chapters: digital transformation and media; taxation; economic and monetary policy; social policy and employment; entrepreneurship and industrial policy; science and research; education and culture; and customs union.
Of the eight chapters, Serbia had already opened five before the negotiation methodology was changed. The new methodology, adopted in early 2020, stipulates that instead of individual chapters, broader clusters connected to six thematic units will be opened.

“There has been no progress; we remain where we were last week,” a diplomatic source told the Croatian news agency Hina.

Last week, eight countries, including Croatia, objected to the Hungarian presidency's proposal to open this cluster. The main reasons for the opposition are Serbia’s refusal to impose sanctions on Russia, its alignment with EU foreign policy, the rule of law, and the state of the media.

Before last week’s meeting, Serbia distributed an informal document to member states listing steps it intends to take to gain approval for opening this cluster. However, some countries stated that progress cannot be made based on promises alone.

The Hungarian presidency announced that it would try again next week to secure approval for opening this cluster, as negotiations with Serbia have been effectively frozen since December 2021, when it opened its last chapters.