EU-Serbia Intergovernmental Conference To Be Held in Luxembourg Today   

Josep Borrell (Beta/AP/Francisco Seco)

An EU-Serbia intergovernmental conference, during which no new chapter will be open, will be held in Luxembourg on June 22.

It is expected that a revised methodology for EU membership negotiations with Serbia will be presented. According to the revised methodology, adopted by the Council of the EU in mid-May, negotiating chapters are divided into six so-called clusters.

Serbia’s delegation will be headed by Prime Minister Ana Brnabic and EU Integration Minister Jadranka Joksimovic, while the EU delegation will be led by EU High Representative Josep Borrell.

During the intergovernmental conference, to be held on the second day of the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg, no new chapter/cluster, will be open, as a number of EU member states have not given the green light, believing that Serbia had not achieved sufficient progress, primarily in the rule of law.

The EU is expected to request from Serbia to step up reforms in the rule of law and to present to Belgrade the possibility, in case the required criteria are met, of opening cluster number three (competitiveness and inclusive growth) and cluster number four (green agenda, digitalization and sustainable connectivity), by the end of the year.

Although no new chapter will be open, the intergovernmental conference is perceived as a compromise solution and as a sign of support to Belgrade to pursue reforms which should lead to opening clusters at the next conference.