Analyst: Opening Cluster 3 Would Falsely Signal That Situation in Serbia Is Positive

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Serbia is unlikely to open Cluster 3 in its EU accession talks by the end of the year because there has been no progress on the rule of law, and opening it would send a false signal that the current situation in the country is positive, Berta Lopez Domenech of the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Analysis cautioned on Nov. 22.

Speaking with Serbian journalists, Domenech said that one of the arguments in favor of opening a new cluster after a four-year standstill was that it would send a positive message to Serbian citizens that the accession process was still active, and the EU still engaged.

“But given recent developments and the deterioration of the rule of law in recent years, I don’t think that will happen, as it would likely send a false signal to the pro-EU population – a signal that the current reform path is positive,” Domenech said, adding that such a move would strengthen anti-EU sentiment among people who have traditionally supported Serbia’s accession to the EU.

The analyst also said that the way European leaders addressed Serbian officials had changed, but the shift, even though visible in the European Commission’s reports and behind closed doors, was not always reflected in public communication.