Changes from resolution motion joint to adopted text

15. Calls on the Serbian authorities to enable the safe return of all citizens who have fled the country as a result of political repression, intimidation or fear of persecution, and to guarantee their full protection and reintegration in accordance with the law and Serbia’s international obligations;

16. Strongly condemns the unlawful arrest and expulsion of EU citizens who made statements in support of protesting students, and the public disclosure, by convicted war criminals, of the personal data of EU citizens; expresses concern about the rising number of detention cases involving EU citizens at Serbia’s borders;

17. Condemns in the strongest possible terms the verbal attacks on MEPs by the highest Serbian officials because of their participation in, or statements made in the context of, the student protests, the most prominent example of which is President Vučić’s attack on the MEPs from the Green/EFA Group on 5 September 2025;

18. Condemns the overt Russian Federation interference in the Serbian protests through disinformation spread by its officials, including Vladimir Putin, alleging that the protests form part of a Western-backed ‘colour revolution’; rejects all allegations by Serbian officials and pro-government media that the EU and some of its Member States were involved in organising the student protests with a view to triggering a ‘colour revolution’; calls on the Serbian authorities to take action against such malign propaganda in domestic media, instead of participating in its dissemination; remains concerned about the nationalist narratives present in parts of the protest movement; deplores the continued use of nationalist narratives, such as the ‘Greater Serbia’ and ‘Serbian World’ concepts, which have in the past been promoted by certain members of the Serbian Government; recalls that such rhetoric has no place in EU-Serbia relations and undermines regional stability;

19. Notes with concern that, in parallel to the ongoing protests, the Serbian Government appears to have been negotiating with the owners of the United Media company, to ‘weaken’ independent media outlets operating under it; warns that, if confirmed, this would represent a serious attack on the already endangered media pluralism in Serbia; calls on Serbia to align with EU policies in countering foreign interference and disinformation campaigns;

20. Calls for the immediate and full implementation of all recommendations of the international election observation missions of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights to ensure free and fair elections in Serbia, in particular those concerning an independent audit of the voter register, the transparent and pluralistic appointment of members of the Regulatory Authority for Electronic Media (REM) Council and the provision of fair and equal access to airtime on public broadcaster RTS for all political actors;

21. Calls on the Serbian authorities to conduct a fully transparent comprehensive technical safety inspection of all infrastructure facilities, including those on the railway line from Belgrade, through Novi Sad, to the border with Hungary, in order to ensure their structural integrity, safety and compliance with international standards; urges the Serbian authorities not to put into operation any infrastructure facilities that lack the necessary permits and certificates for safe and uninterrupted use, particularly those located on international and regionally important transport corridors;

22. Encourages Serbia to strengthen cooperation with the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) and to fully implement its UNCAC obligations; calls for enhanced transparency of ownership and financing in public procurement for infrastructure projects; stresses that Serbia must safeguard environmental standards and the rights of local and national minority communities when approving such projects;

23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to closely monitor the implementation of reforms through the EU accession process and the Reform Agenda adopted under the Reform and Growth Facility; acknowledges Serbia’s progress in certain areas, including economic growth, regional infrastructure connectivity and cooperation with the EU on migration management and energy security; welcomes Serbia’s participation in EU-funded projects under the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans and the Green Agenda; encourages Serbia to continue advancing reforms in alignment with EU standards, and reaffirms the EU’s readiness to support the Serbian people in their efforts towards a democratic, prosperous and European future;

24. Underlines its long-standing commitment to Serbia’s European perspective and future EU membership, while clearly underlining that progress on EU accession depends on full respect for the EU’s values, a genuinely merit-based process, and adherence to democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights, which are among the Copenhagen criteria;

25. Reiterates that EU accession negotiations with Serbia should only advance on the basis of measurable and sustainable progress in the fundamentals cluster, particularly on the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, judicial independence, media freedom, public administration reform, full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), and sanctions against Russia; recalls that Serbia remains a notable exception in the Western Balkans regarding alignment with the CFSP; emphasises that progressive alignment with the CFSP is a key requirement for all EU candidate countries; calls on the Serbian authorities to foster a fact-based and open discussion on accession to the EU;

26. Reiterates its strong support for Serbian civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent activists working to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights; calls on the Commission to ensure adequate and accessible funding and effective protection mechanisms for civil society actors; condemns any form of intimidation, harassment or administrative pressure against non-governmental organisations and activists; emphasises the vital role of civil society in promoting transparency, monitoring democratic standards and holding public authorities accountable;

27. Supports the prompt deployment of an ad hoc EU fact-finding mission to Serbia, with the participation of the European Parliament, in order to assess, on the ground, the state of democracy, the ongoing protests, attacks on demonstrators and repression targeting students, academics, educators and public-sector employees;

28. Calls on the most senior EU officials to refrain from making unfounded statements praising the reform process in Serbia; welcomes the shift in the Commission President’s tone during her recent visit to Serbia, which reflects a more accurate assessment of Serbia’s underlying problems and negative track record on fundamental reforms; notes the announced agreement in relation to independent verification of the voter registry and the REM Council media regulator, while underlining that progress is assessed based on implementation of reforms;

29. Invites the Commission to launch an initiative for targeted individual sanctions to be imposed against those responsible for serious violations of law and human rights in Serbia, in line with the EU global human rights sanctions regime;

30. Calls on the EU Member States to strengthen protective measures for those at risk, including emergency visas and relocation programmes; urges the EU and Member State diplomatic missions to closely monitor all ongoing legal proceedings related to the protests; urges the EU Member States to adopt a united response to Serbia’s democratic backsliding, including by considering targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for serious violations of law and human rights in Serbia;

31. Calls on all countries participating in the upcoming Expo 2027 in Serbia to take into account the serious concerns and evidence of widespread corruption linked to the ruling authorities, as well as the reported lack of compliance with basic construction standards and legal requirements in the organisation and construction of the exhibition;

32. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the President of the European Council, the Commission, the Vice‑President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the President, Government and National Assembly of Serbia, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.