European Commission: Any Organizational Change Needs to Strengthen Serbia’s Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office

Special Court Building in Belgrade (BETAPHOTO/MILAN OBRADOVIC)

The European Commission (EC) said it would assess any potential organizational change to Serbia’s Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime (JTOK) in light of a recommendation to strengthen JTOK’s mandate, as well as in terms of relevant provisional benchmarks in the area of the rule of law.

“Although a law on the Office of the Prosecutor for Organized Crime is not before the Parliament of Serbia at this point, we are taking into account recent statements by the authorities, and recall that the Commission will assess any potential organizational change in the prosecution service in light of a recommendation to strengthen JTOK’s mandate, as well as against relevant interim benchmarks related to the rule of law,” the Commission said in a Dec. 19 written response to Savremena Politika portal whick asked it about attacks by Serbian officials on JTOK prosecutors. The Commission recalled that its recommendation for Serbia to strengthen JTOK’s mandate, as well as to “advance the fight against organized crime and corruption,” is contained in the European Commission’s Serbia progress report adopted in November.

“The Commission is closely monitoring developments in Serbia’s judiciary, particularly under Chapter 23: Judiciary and Fundamental Rights. Our position and assessment regarding the judiciary in Serbia are clearly set out in our latest enlargement report. It underscores the importance of ensuring judicial independence and prosecutorial autonomy, noting that political pressure on the judiciary and prosecutors remains high, including inappropriate public comments by government and senior public officials regarding ongoing investigations and court proceedings,” the Commission said.

For months now, the Office of the Prosecutor for Organized Crime has been the target of harsh criticism by officials, including Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, the portal cautioned, adding that the attacks intensified after the so-called “General Staff case” opened.The JTOK has filed an indictment proposal against Minister of Culture Nikola Selakovic and three other individuals suspected of abuse of office and forging an official document.