Serbia has made progress on its reform agenda, ranging from strengthening human rights protections and anti-trafficking efforts to promoting equality, quality education for all, as well as safeguarding freedom of expression- all in the framework of the EU and Council of Europe joint programme, “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.” This was concluded at the programme’s annual Beneficiary Steering Committee meeting held in Belgrade today.

The meeting highlighted several key achievements, including the release of the first national report on trafficking in human beings, improved medical check-ups for individuals in police custody, new rules to protect children's privacy in the media, measures ensuring fair media coverage of election campaigns, efforts to make content more accessible for people with disabilities and a new rulebook encouraging schools to involve students in community service projects.

Opening the event, the Minister of European Integration of the Republic of Serbia, Tanja Miščević, she reminded that Serbia has been a member of the Council of Europe for 20 years, and it has since been a strategic partner in promoting European standards. "With the help of the Council of Europe, we are trying to achieve good results in various areas. We carefully follow the recommendations of the Council of Europe, which helps us to develop continuous monitoring of the implementation of those recommendations in terms of progress in the process of European integration. Thanks to the results of this programme, the amounts for supporting the strengthening of the rule of law are increasing, and now we have 41 million euros at our disposal," said Miščević.

Claus Neukirch, Director of the Directorate of Programme Co-ordination of the Council of Europe, said: “Guided by shared values, the Council of Europe jointly with the European Union continue to offer targeted support to Serbia. Through the Horizontal Facility, we partner with authorities and civil society to advance Serbia’s reform agenda in human rights, rule of law and democracy.”

Nicola Bertolini, Head of Cooperation at EU Delegation in Belgrade, said that the EU invests significantly in Serbia’s growth, progress, and prosperity over decade/s. “More than a donor, the European Union remains a steadfast supporter of Serbia's reform journey, demonstrated through initiatives like the Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, and as of recently the Reform Agenda. In her “Political Guidelines 2024-2029”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted: ‘The rule of law does not have an end point. Challenges exist right across Europe, at different scales and with different issues. We aim at improving our monitoring and reporting, and strengthening checks and balances, notably by tracking the implementation of recommendations’. The European Commission President also stressed that accession to the EU remains a merit-based process – and each candidate will be assessed on its own progress towards meeting all criteria. The rule of law and fundamental values will continue to be the cornerstones of the EU’s enlargement policy. In this regard, the EU expects that in the coming months, Horizontal Facility Actions jointly with state authorities and CSOs will take stock of what was done in each of the previous phases, clearly indicating which recommendations are fulfilled and which are those in need of further boosting, list he necessary steps and focus efforts in that direction. The efforts should therefore continue to strengthen the inter-institutional and inter-sector dialogue, as well to enhance the meaningful dialogue with civil society that has proven essential for achieving real progress,” said Bertolini.

Following the introductory panel, senior representatives from beneficiary institutions— including the Commissioner for Protection of Equality, the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Justice - shared their feedback on the impact of the programme. Their presentations highlighted advancements in justice reform, freedom of expression, anti-discrimination efforts, and the protection of vulnerable groups.

The “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative between the European Union and the Council of Europe, running from 2023 to 2026. The programme supports beneficiaries in meeting their reform agendas in human rights, rule of law, and democracy, aligning with European standards and priorities for EU enlargement. The current phase of the programme is valued at €41 million, with 85% funded by the European Union and 15% by the Council of Europe.

For more information, please contact:

Bojana Barlovac, Regional Communication Officer, Council of Europe Office in Belgrade, +381 (0)63 60 13 37

Tatiana Baeva Frachon, Media officer, Council of Europe, Strasbourg +33 (0)3 88 41 21 41