Accession of Serbia to the European Union

Accession of Serbia to the European Union (EU) is on the agenda for future enlargement of the EU.

Serbia applied to join the EU in 2009 and has been a candidate for membership since 2012 (along with nine other states), while negotiations started in 2014 and are still ongoing.

History Relations between the European Union and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (later the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro) got a fresh start following the overthrow of Slobodan Milošević in 2000, and the EU officially declared the Balkan states potential candidates for membership following the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Thessaloniki in 2003.

On 7 November 2007, Serbia initiated a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the European Union. The SAA came into force on 1 September 2013. The European Commission recommended making Serbia an official candidate on 12 October 2011. The Council of the European Union also made the recommendation on 28 February 2012. Serbia received full candidate status on 1 March 2012. In December 2013, the Council of the European Union approved opening negotiations for Serbia's accession. Serbia officially applied for European Union membership on 22 December 2009 and was granted official candidate status on 1 March 2012. Negotiations on accession to the EU started on 21 January 2014.

Until 2020, Serbia had been receiving €2.9 billion of developmental aid from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance, a funding mechanism for EU candidate countries.

In 2024, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić stated that Serbia would meet all the criteria to join the European Union by 2026 or 2027, but did not promise an immediate accession in 2026, 2027, or 2028. These statements reflect his earlier ones, when he stated that Serbia would probably have to wait for six years to join the European Union, in 2030. The 2030 target was later supported by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, during the Bled Strategic Forum, who stated that such enlargement should be ready to proceed by 2030. However, in 2025, during a meeting in Rome regarding the Western Balkans "expansion", Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, with the presence of the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, stated that a possible entry year for the nation could be 2029 instead.

Chronology of relations with the EU +TimelineDateEvent 1998 The Council of the European Union establishes political and economic conditionality for the development of bilateral relations. 21 June 2003 The Stabilisation and Association Process is confirmed as the European Union's policy for the Western Balkans countries. October 2004 The European Council conclusions open up a process for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. October 2005 Negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement started. 1 November 2007 Stabilisation and Association Agreement is initialed. 1 January 2008 Entry into force of the Visa Facilitation and Readmission Agreement. 18 February 2008 The European Council adopts revised European Partnership for Serbia. 29 April 2008 The Stabilisation and Association Agreement and Interim agreement on trade and trade-related issues signed. 19 December 2009 Visa requirements lifted for Serbian citizens travelling to Schengen Area. 22 December 2009 Application for Membership in the European Union. 14 June 2010 Ratification process of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement by EU member states started. 31 January 2011 Responses to the European Commission's Questionnaire submitted. 14 October 2011 The European Commission announced its opinion on the Application for membership in the European Union, recommending granting Serbia the status of a Candidate for EU membership. 1 March 2012 The European Council grants the status of a Candidate for EU membership. 28 June 2013 The European Council endorsed the European Commission's recommendation to start membership negotiations. 1 September 2013 Entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement. 25 September 2013 Screening of the EU acquis started. 21 January 2014 Start of membership talks, first Intergovernmental Conference held. 25 March 2015 Screening of the EU acquis completed. 14 December 2015 Opening of chapters 32 ("Financial Control") and 35 ("Other Issues – Item 1: Normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo*"). 18 July 2016 Opening of chapters 23 ("Judiciary and Fundamental Rights") and 24 ("Justice, Freedom and Security"). 13 December 2016 Opening of chapters 5 ("Public Procurement") and 25 ("Science and Research"); Chapter 25 ("Science and Research") provisionally closed. 27 February 2017 Opening of chapters 20 ("Enterprise and Industrial Policy") and 26 ("Education and Culture"); Chapter 26 ("Education and Culture") provisionally closed. 20 June 2017 Opening of chapters 7 ("Intellectual Property Law") and 29 ("Customs Union"). 11 December 2017 Opening of chapters 6 ("Company Law") and 30 ("External Relations"). 25 June 2018 Opening of chapters 13 ("Fisheries") and 33 ("Financial and Budgetary Provisions"). 10 December 2018 Opening of chapters 17 ("Economic and Monetary Policy") and 18 ("Statistics"). 27 June 2019 Opening of Chapter 9 ("Financial Services"). 9 December 2019 Opening of Chapter 4 ("Free Movement of Capital"). 1 February 2021 Entry into force of new methodology for membership talks. 14 December 2021 Opening of chapters 14 ("Transport Policy"), 15 ("Energy"), 21 ("Trans-European Networks"), and 27 ("Environment and Climate Change").

Membership talks No further progress on the opening or closing of chapters has been achieved since December 2021. Benchmarks were met for the opening of all three remaining chapters in cluster 3 (chapter 10, 16 and 19) in December 2024, but this was postponed due the opening being conditional on "substantial further progress made by Serbia, in particular in accordance with...the rule of law (chapter 23+24) and the normalisation of relations with Kosovo".

In June 2026, EU officials had discussed proposals to open Cluster 3 (Competitiveness and inclusive growth) after the Serbian parliament rolled back a series of controversial judicial reforms. The European Commission proposed to open Cluster 3, but this proposal faced opposition from several member states, most notably the Netherlands, which threatened to veto the opening of the cluster over rule of law concerns.

Clusters of negotiating chaptersClustersAcquis ChapterState of PlayCluster OpenedCluster Closed Overview Overview 22 out of 34 2 out of 60 out of 6Fundamentals 23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights Opened Opened– 24. Justice, Freedom & Security OpenedEconomic criteria–Functioning of democratic institutions–Public administration reform– 5. Public Procurement Opened 18. Statistics Opened 32. Financial Control OpenedInternal Market 1. Free Movement of Goods Serbia working on fulfilment of opening benchmarks –– 2. Freedom of Movement For Workers Draft EU Common Position in Council 3. Right of Establishment & Freedom To Provide Services Draft EU Common Position in Council 4. Free Movement of Capital Opened 6. Company Law Opened 7. Intellectual Property Law Opened 8. Competition Policy Serbia working on fulfillment of opening benchmarks 9. Financial Services Opened 28. Consumer & Health Protection Draft EU Common Position in Council Competitiveness and inclusive growth 10. Information Society & Media Draft EU Common Position in Council –– 16. Taxation Draft EU Common Position in Council 17. Economic & Monetary Policy Opened 19. Social Policy & Employment Draft EU Common Position in Council 20. Enterprise & Industrial Policy Opened 25. Science & Research Closed 26. Education & Culture Closed 29. Customs Union OpenedGreen agenda and sustainable connectivity 14. Transport Policy Opened Opened– 15. Energy Opened 21. Trans-European Networks Opened 27. Environment OpenedResources, agriculture and cohesion 11. Agriculture & Rural Development Opening Benchmarks Assessment Report in Council –– 12. Food Safety, Veterinary & Phytosanitary Policy Serbia working on fulfilment of opening benchmarks 13. Fisheries Opened 22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments Opening Benchmarks Assessment Report in Council 33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions OpenedExternal relations 30. External Relations Opened –– 31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy Screening Report in Council 34. Institutions – – – 35. Other Issues: Relations with Kosovo* Opened Opened– Screening and Chapter Dates Progression34 / 3434 / 3422 / 342 / 34Acquis ChapterScreening StartedScreening CompletedChapter OpenedChapter Closed Overview 34 out of 34 34 out of 34 22 out of 34 2 out of 34 1. Free Movement of Goods 2014-06-17 2014-09-12 – – 2. Freedom of Movement For Workers 2014-01-23 2014-03-25 – – 3. Right of Establishment & Freedom To Provide Services 2014-01-30 2014-03-13 – 4. Free Movement of Capital 2014-10-13 2014-12-15 2019-12-10 – 5. Public Procurement 2014-03-21 2014-05-13 2016-12-13 – 6. Company Law 2014-12-11 2015-02-05 2017-12-11 – 7. Intellectual Property Law 2014-09-24 2014-11-13 2017-06-20 – 8. Competition Policy 2014-03-31 2014-11-05 – – 9. Financial Services 2015-01-21 2015-03-17 2019-06-27 – 10. Information Society & Media 2014-05-22 2014-07-02 – – 11. Agriculture & Rural Development 2014-03-18 2014-09-16 – – 12. Food Safety, Veterinary & Phytosanitary Policy 2014-02-03 2014-10-24 – – 13. Fisheries 2014-09-30 2014-11-14 2018-06-25 – 14. Transport Policy 2014-12-16 2015-02-27 2021-12-14 – 15. Energy 2014-04-29 2014-06-12 2021-12-14 – 16. Taxation 2014-10-14 2015-03-06 – – 17. Economic & Monetary Policy 2014-12-02 2015-03-12 2018-12-10 – 18. Statistics 2014-05-20 2014-11-26 2018-12-10 – 19. Social Policy & Employment 2014-02-10 2014-06-26 – – 20. Enterprise & Industrial Policy 2014-04-03 2014-07-02 2017-02-27 – 21. Trans-European Networks 2014-04-29 2015-02-27 2021-12-14 – 22. Regional Policy & Coordination of Structural Instruments 2014-10-01 2015-01-29 – – 23. Judiciary & Fundamental Rights 2013-09-25 2013-12-10 2016-07-18 – 24. Justice, Freedom & Security 2013-10-02 2013-12-13 2016-07-18 – 25. Science & Research 2014-10-06 2014-12-01 2016-12-13 2016-12-13 26. Education & Culture 2014-02-20 2014-04-04 2017-02-27 2017-02-27 27. Environment 2014-09-15 2014-11-21 2021-12-14 – 28. Consumer & Health Protection 2014-12-04 2015-02-04 – – 29. Customs Union 2014-03-26 2014-06-04 2017-06-20 – 30. External Relations 2014-07-02 2014-10-09 2017-12-11 – 31. Foreign, Security & Defence Policy 2014-07-15 2014-10-10 – – 32. Financial Control 2013-10-17 2013-11-26 2015-12-14 – 33. Financial & Budgetary Provisions 2015-01-27 2015-03-24 2018-06-25 – 34. Institutions – – – – 35. Other Issues: Relations with Kosovo* 2014-01-22 2015-03-25 2015-12-14 – Progression 34 / 3434 / 3422 / 342 / 34