The European Union told the OSCE Permanent Council that Serbia needs further reforms on elections, media freedom and the rule of law, while welcoming some recent steps.
In a statement in Vienna responding to the head of the OSCE Mission to Serbia, Ambassador Marcel Peško, the EU said the mission remained an “important and impartial partner” for Serbia’s institutions, civil society and media, despite budget constraints and political and social polarisation, the European External Action Service (EEAS) reported on Thursday.
The EU highlighted the mission’s work on the media environment, including contributions to Serbia’s 2026–2030 Media Strategy and Action Plan, the development of the country’s first Media Literacy Index, and support linked to the Regulatory Authority on Electronic Media, known as REM, which oversees electronic broadcasters.
A fully functioning REM Council is essential for media pluralism and fair electoral processes, the EU said.
Serbia also needs to ensure an enabling environment for civil society and academic freedom, and strengthen the protection and safety of journalists, it added.
Elections, minorities and regional relations
The EU stated that concerns raised by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights — ODIHR — and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meant Serbia must ensure full respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It welcomed “positive steps” on a unified voter register, but said key aspects of the electoral process still require tangible improvements and further reform, adding that it expected Serbia to implement remaining ODIHR recommendations.
The statement also noted the OSCE mission’s contribution to Serbia’s national Action Plan for the Realization of the Rights of National Minorities for 2026–2029, and its support for increasing the representation of national minorities in the police and judiciary.
It also welcomed the selection of the Serbian NGO Education for the 21st Century as the winner of the 2026 Max van der Stoel Award for its contribution to tolerance, inclusion and education on national minorities.
On justice and corruption, the EU cited the mission’s support for judicial reform and judicial independence, including monitoring high-profile organised crime and corruption cases as part of an EU-funded Western Balkans regional trial monitoring project.
The EU also urged Serbia to strengthen good neighbourly relations and said progress on normalising relations between Belgrade and Pristina remains essential for both sides to advance on their “European paths”, calling on political leaders to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric.
Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine aligned themselves with the statement.
