Russian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in Belgrade Alexander Botsan-Kharchenko told SM News on 8 August in an interview about the establishment of a military base in Serbia, noting that the placement of Russian bases is a sovereign matter of that country. The Kremlin is actively lobbying for the idea of establishing a military base in…
EU action has had little impact in advancing fundamental rule of law reforms in the Western Balkans, according to a special report published by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). Some technical and operational reforms have taken place in the region. But in a context of insufficient political will and a lack of engagement, EU…
Parliament said it “condemns the repeated persecution and the recent politically motivated” attempts by Russian authorities to shut down the two legal entities of the human rights organisation Memorial – International Memorial and the Memorial Human Rights Centre. MEPs also called for all charges against Memorial to be dropped immediately and for guarantees that the…
At the last session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, a case of discrimination based on ethnicity in Croatia was submitted to their delegation, writes Willy Fautré. Twenty-five years after the end of Croatia’s war for independence from Serbia, many Serbs living in Croatia report ongoing discriminatory treatment in court by the judiciary. …
Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi recently signed a €70.2 million assistance programme for Serbia. The Commission says it is aiming to kick-start the EU economy by incentivising private investments. The Commission has proposed a new Solvency Support Instrument, which builds on the existing European Fund for Strategic Investments, to mobilise private resources to urgently support viable European companies…
By Willy Fautré Twenty-five years after the end of Croatia’s war for independence from Serbia, thousands of Serbs are still fighting for their property rights in that Western Balkan country which became a member state of the European Union (EU) in 2013 and is now chairing the EU. Dalibor Močević, a Croatian citizen of Serbian…
There has been a week of opposition protests in Belgrade as the political campaigns start to crank up in anticipation of rescheduled elections in Serbia on 21 June. These were due to be held in April, but have been delayed because of the crisis facing the country with the COVID-19 pandemic. Commenting on recent developments Tanja…
The Foreign Affairs Committee Chair, delegation chairs and standing rapporteurs for the Balkan countries confirm the EU’s commitment to continue transforming the region. In a joint statement, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee David McAllister MEP, the standing rapporteurs and the chairs of delegations of the European Parliament for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo,…
Following debate in the EP Foreign Affairs Committee this afternoon, the Picula Report was adopted and its key recommendations agreed. These include the requirement for the EU to ensure that its enlargement methodology supports reforms and sustains fully-fledged membership as the final goal for accession countries. The report was adopted with 58 votes for, 7 against…
MEPs are expected to adopt a report in the run-up to the 2020 Balkan summit that is scheduled for this spring in Zagreb. The report lists recommendations on the EU’s approach towards Balkan countries aspiring to join the European Union. They will vote on the text prepared by the rapporteur Tonino Picula (S&D, HR) that largely…
