EP Set To Call On Serbia To Align with EU Sanctions against Russia  

European parliament

On April 21, the European Parliament (EP) Committee on Foreign Affairs is scheduled to debate a draft resolution which calls on Serbia to align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia.  

The draft resolution, compiled by EP Rapporteur for Serbia Vladimir Bilcik, expresses regrets over the fact that Serbia has not aligned with EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU “calls on the newly elected authorities to show real commitment to EU values and to align with the EU’s decisions and positions in foreign and security policy, including sanctions against Russia,” it is said in the document published on the EP website.

The new majority is called on “to accelerate Serbia’s alignment with European policies and values,” the document says, stressing that “clear decisions are needed on Serbia’s strategic direction.”

The document further says that the EP “is deeply concerned about the spread of disinformation about Russian aggression against Ukraine” and “calls on the Serbian authorities and the Commission to bolster infrastructure to fight disinformation and other hybrid threats.” 

The draft resolution also expresses support for Serbia’s future membership of the EU and recalls that “a credible enlargement perspective requires sustainable efforts and irreversible reforms,” and that “the progress on the rule of law and fundamental rights chapters, as well as on the normalization of Serbia’s relations with Kosovo, will determine the pace of accession.” 

The document welcomes the increased voter turnout at the recent parliamentary and presidential elections, and the return to a more pluralistic parliament, but expresses regrets over “the highly polarized political environment of the campaign, which was characterized by limited media pluralism and pressure on voters."