On Wednesday, the ambassadors of the European Union member states held an extraordinary debate on the situation in Serbia, at Germany’s request, following the adoption of judicial laws which the European Commission assessed as a significant step backwards, Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS) has learned from diplomatic sources in Brussels.
No decisions were made during the debate, but several countries called for the suspension of funds from the Growth Plan for Serbia to be considered if the adopted judicial laws remain in force. Some states welcomed Belgrade’s willingness to ensure the legislation is not implemented until the Venice Commission’s opinion, which is expected in June, is published.
Several member states, including the Scandinavian and Baltic countries, the Netherlands and others, expressed “serious concern”, assessing that the judicial laws represent a regression in the key area of the rule of law.
According to diplomatic sources, some countries have asked the European Commission to consider suspending payments from the Growth Plan to Serbia, if the opinion of the Venice Commission is not taken into account. The question of Serbia’s anti-EU rhetoric and its abstention during the vote on the resolution on Ukraine at the UN General Assembly was also raised in the debate.
On the other hand, a group of countries, including France, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia and others, advocated for a “balanced approach” towards Serbia, warning that a “hasty suspension of payments” from the Growth Plan would undermine the strategic interest of Serbia’s EU accession.
As last December, these countries advocated for the reopening of Cluster 3 in the negotiations with Serbia, citing the principle of merit and the European Commission’s assessment that Belgrade meets the necessary technical conditions for it. Some member states pointed out that the criticism of the justice laws would be more credible if the EU acknowledged that some progress had been made in other areas, according to diplomatic sources.
Similar discussions on the consequences of adopting the justice laws have already been held several times during February at the level of the Working Group on Enlargement of the Member States (COELA).
Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said earlier this month that the European Commission will assess whether the preconditions for the payment of European funds to Serbia are still met.
According to the regulations on the Western Balkans Growth Plan, the preconditions for using money from that fund are the functioning of a democratic system and the rule of law, and in the case of Belgrade and Pristina, ‘constructive engagement in dialogue’.
(Danas, 26.02.2026)