Binnenhof in The Hague, Netherlands (Photo; PrintScreen You Tube/Google Earth
The Dutch government does not support the continuation of accession negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Serbia through the opening of Cluster 3, citing concerns over Serbia’s rule-of- law record, Radio Free Europe (RFE) was told in The Hague on July 3.
In a statement to the RFE, a spokesperson for the Dutch Foreign Ministry recalled that the European Council stated in its 2024 conclusions that it is crucial for Serbia to make significant progress, including in the area of rule of law.
“The Dutch government’s assessment of the 2025 Enlargement Package still stands: opening Cluster 3 at this time would not be merit-based, given concerns regarding the rule of law,” the Dutch Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson said in the response.
The RFE has learned from diplomatic sources that at least five members of the Union do not support opening Cluster 3. In addition to the Netherlands, which officially confirmed its position, the countries that oppose this are the three Baltic states and Sweden. The reasons for their opposition mostly lie with the state of rule of law in the country, while some countries, the RFE was told, cannot ignore the fact that Serbia has not imposed sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
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