The European Union has fully blocked financial disbursements to Serbia under its growth plan and pre-accession assistance. This was announced by European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos at an international conference in Fribourg.
According to the Commissioner, the decision was prompted by Serbia’s serious lag in implementing judicial reform and regression in key areas of the rule of law.
“Serbia will not be able to receive financial support from the European Union until all identified violations are fully remedied. Belgrade cannot sit on two chairs at once: pursuing the path to EU membership while ignoring the fundamental requirements of European standards,” Marta Kos stated.
The suspension covers all tranches under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and other support programmes that had previously been allocated to Serbia for infrastructure development, agriculture, education, and administrative reform.
Brussels notes that Serbia’s progress in accession negotiations and its access to European funds are directly contingent on tangible results in reforming the judiciary, combating corruption, and ensuring the independence of institutions.