Von Beckerath: Serbia’s Annual Progress Report a Roadmap for Accelerating Reforms

Andreas von Beckerath (BETAPHOTO/MILAN ILIC)

EU Ambassador to Serbia Andreas von Beckerath said on Nov. 5 that the purpose of the European Commission’s Annual Progress Report for Serbia is to “provide a roadmap” for accelerating reforms while also highlighting areas in need of further adjustments along with those where good progress has been made.

“The goal is not to create a list of Serbia’s faults and I’d like to repeat what I always say: that these reforms should not be implemented for the sake of Brussels but rather to improve the everyday life of ordinary people,” Von Beckerath told the RTS public service.

Briefly summarizing the report, which has yet to be published, the ambassador said that the document mentions certain positive developments in the country, such as the recent move to finally elect a steering committee for Serbia’s Regulatory Authority for Digital Media a full year after its disbandment and the amendments to the Unified Voter Roll Act. However, the overall impression, he said, is that reforms in Serbia have slowed considerably and that they must be sped up in a variety of areas.

“A special emphasis has been put on the area we call ‘the fundamentals,’ which comprises the rule of law, the electoral framework, democratic institutions, combating organized crime, corruption, human rights and the like,” Von Beckerath explained.

The ambassador went on to say that his greatest disappointment since arriving in Serbia three months ago has been the local rhetoric regarding the European Union.

“I have nothing against people criticizing the EU. It’s not perfect and sometimes deserves to be criticized, and I’ll gladly defend my belief that Serbia’s future lies within the European Union. What I can’t accept, however, is misinformation being used against the EU,” he said.

The ambassador and leader of the EU delegation to Serbia gave two examples of such misinformation. The first was the report issued by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claiming EU countries plan to complete a color revolution in Serbia on Nov. 1, 2025, which was broadcast by the majority of Serbian media. The second, he said, were media reports that the EU decided to halt the transit of national gas to Serbia, which was also untrue.

“What we expect is for the authorities to tackle misinformation, but they also have the responsibility to publicize the positive aspects and benefits of European Union membership and of the accession process,” said Von Beckerath.

Anti-EU rhetoric is bad for the Union’s image in Serbia but also for Serbia’s image in the EU – and this must change, the diplomat concluded.