Hungary's push for Serbia's EU accession talks stalled!
Hungary's view to take accession talks with Serbia to the next stage was rejected by a significant group of European Union countries, making it impossible to secure the necessary unanimity. The debate took place on Monday during a closed-door meeting of ambassadors.
Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Sweden were among those who opposed the move, pointing to Belgrade's unclear record on fundamental rights, strained relations with neighboring Kosovo and, in particular, its refusal to continuing to impose sanctions on Russia.
The proposal, presented by the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, aimed to bring Serbia closer to the opening of Group 3 of the accession process, which covers eight individual chapters related to competitiveness and economic growth, such as taxes, monetary policy, employment, customs union and scientific research.
Serbia had previously unlocked five of those eight chapters, but Brussels changed the rules in 2020 to create the thematic groupings, which must now be opened in full after meeting a series of preliminary standards. According to the European Commission, Serbia has met the standards and is "technically ready" to start talks under group 3, leaving the final decision in the hands of the member states, which must receive the green light at each step of the process by unanimity.
Consensus failed to materialize on Monday after Hungary, a staunch supporter of Serbia's European integration, tabled the proposal for Group 3. The opposition group acknowledged progress made by Serbia in its membership bid but insisted that "concrete results are required" before to move forward, said a diplomat.
A major point of concern around the table was Belgrade's apparent lack of alignment with EU foreign policy, particularly when it comes to the many sanctions the bloc has imposed on Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the diplomat said.
While stressing his country's commitment to EU membership, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has said he is "not ashamed" to maintain "traditionally very good ties" with Moscow and refuses to follow Western restrictions. "No one in Europe agrees with me on this issue, but everyone in Europe understands my position," Vucic said in September.
Belgrade is also under scrutiny for its free trade agreement with China, which came into effect on July 1 and immediately eliminated 60% of tariffs between the two sides. It is unclear how a country with a free trade agreement with China can become part of the EU, as the bloc's trade policy is unified and determined by Brussels.
Serbia "has maintained high-level relations with the Russian Federation and intensified its relations with China, raising questions about Serbia's strategic direction," the Commission wrote in the enlargement report released last month. Vucic's policy resembles that of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has broken ranks with his EU colleagues to foster good relations with Russia's Vladimir Putin and China's Xi Jinping. Orban's highly controversial "peace tour" in the summer, which saw him travel to Moscow and Beijing, prompted accusations of infidelity.
Advancing accession talks with Western Balkan candidates is one of the top priorities of the Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, set to end on December 31. "We promised the countries of the Western Balkans twenty years ago that they would be granted access, and it is time to fulfill the promise," Orbán said.
While Brussels approaches the enlargement process as "merit-based", the decisions taken by member states are essentially political. Hungary, for example, has been reluctant to move forward with Ukraine's bid, which is currently at a virtual standstill.
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