Back Serbia’s High Prosecutorial Council discusses priorities for the future

Kopaonik, Serbia 21 October 2026
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Serbia’s High Prosecutorial Council discusses priorities for the future

Strengthening prosecutorial independence, addressing institutional challenges and preparing for upcoming legal reforms were at the centre of the Third Professional Conference of the High Prosecutorial Council, held in Kopaonik from 19 to 21 October 2026.

The Conference titled “New composition of the Council and new directions of the judiciary” gathered representatives of the prosecution, judiciary, the Constitutional Court and international organisations to discuss key issues related to integrity of the prosecution, legal remedies related to the decisions of the High Prosecutorial Council, digitalisation of public prosecution and the role of the Council in protecting the position of public prosecutors.

Discussions focused on the impact of the Constitutional Court decisions on the current composition of the Council, gaps in its functioning including the absence of elections of public prosecutors and the elected President of the Council, and the Commissioner for the Autonomy of Public Prosecutors. The discussions also involved a wide range of topics relevant to forthcoming challenges arising from the new Law on Judicial Academy and further Council’s development as a protector of prosecutorial autonomy.

This Conference has become an important platform for the professional exchange of opinions and experiences, and for joint reflection on further steps in strengthening the autonomy, integrity, and responsibility of the public prosecution in Serbia. The event reaffirmed the shared commitment of the High Prosecutorial Council and its partners to strengthening prosecutorial independence, transparency, and efficiency.

The Conference was organised by the Council of Europe through the action “Strengthening legal culture in Serbia and capacities of the judicial and the prosecutorial councils”, as a part of the joint European Union and Council of Europe programme Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye.

Horizontal Facility III

The joint European Union and Council of Europe programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye” (Horizontal Facility III) is a co-operation initiative, running from 2023 until 2026. The programme covers actions in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Türkiye. It enables the Beneficiaries to meet their reform agendas in the fields of human rights, rule of law and democracy and to comply with European standards, which is also a priority for the EU enlargement process.

The envelope of this facility amounts to ca. 41 million EUR (85% funded by the EU, 15% by the CoE).

Find out more about the Horizontal Facility III programme >>

*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.