The European Union has frozen the funds intended for Serbia in the framework of a special aid project for six Balkan countries related to controversial judicial reforms, said the bloc’s enlargement commissioner.
The EU Growth Plan for the Western Balkans provides six billion euros ($7.06 billion) in funding for 2024-2027 to boost the economies of these countries and accelerate the region’s integration into the EU.
“At the moment, we have stopped all payments from the Growth Plan because it was back in court,” EU Commissioner Marta Kos said late Thursday in Switzerland.
“As long as this is not repaired, they will not be able to receive European financial support,” she said at an event at the University of Freiburg.
Her remarks came after Serbia’s parliament approved judicial reforms without consulting prosecutors, judges, the European Union or other expert bodies.
Critics say the amendments, approved in January, give court presidents greater powers over judges and remove safeguards that guarantee the independence of prosecutors, raising concerns in the EU and the Council of Europe.
The changes come amid several high-profile corruption investigations targeting senior government and ruling party officials.
AFP contacted the European Commission to ask if an official decision had been made on the funding pause, but has not received a response.
The release of the Growth Plan funds is conditional on reforms, including ensuring the independence of the judiciary and the fight against corruption.
Serbia received its first installment of 56.5 million euros ($66.3 million) in mid-January as scheduled, with a total of 1.58 billion euros ($1.85 billion) earmarked for the EU candidate.
Kos also criticized the curbing of democracy and media freedom.
“Serbia is very polarized today,” she said, referring to the heated political climate after nearly a year and a half of anti-corruption protests.
“It has been a candidate for more than a decade, and unfortunately, we are seeing backsliding,” she added, also criticizing Serbia’s foreign policy.
Serbia remains a close ally of the Kremlin and one of the few European countries that does not sanction Russia for the war in Ukraine.
“You can’t sit on two chairs,” Kos said.
