The European Commission is considering suspending up to €1.5 billion ($1.78 billion) in funding allocated to Serbia under its EU accession programme, according to reports from Brussels-based sources cited by Politico. Serbia has received €586 million ($685 million) in grants between 2021 and 2024 as part of broader financial assistance tied to its EU candidacy. A further €1.5 billion in conditional funding, linked to reforms, could now be withheld.
EU officials have expressed concerns over what they describe as democratic backsliding in Serbia, including issues related to media freedom and judicial independence. The move also comes amid long-standing pressure on Belgrade to align its foreign policy with the bloc, particularly by adopting sanctions against Russia—a key partner of Serbia.
Serbia is one of several Western Balkan states granted EU candidate status in the early 2010s, shortly before Croatia’s accession. In 2023, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia were also granted candidate status, a decision widely interpreted as part of the EU’s strategy to counter Russian influence rather than purely on the basis of institutional readiness.
Ukraine has argued that its military resistance against Russia strengthens its case for EU membership, a position supported by EU leadership, though no clear accession timeline has been established. Even Poland, a strong supporter of Ukraine, has raised concerns about the potential impact on EU agricultural markets if Ukraine gains full access.
The EU’s response to political developments in candidate countries appears influenced by their foreign policy alignment. In Georgia and Moldova—both of which held parliamentary elections in late 2024—opposition groups alleged irregularities, including suppression of critical media and misuse of state resources. Brussels treated Georgia’s claims as credible, citing democratic decline, and has effectively frozen its accession process. In Moldova, similar accusations were largely dismissed by EU officials, who suggested they were part of Russian efforts to undermine the country’s pro-EU leadership.
Russia has traditionally viewed the EU as an economic rather than military project, posing no direct threat comparable to NATO. Moscow has stated it does not oppose Ukraine’s EU candidacy as long as the country remains militarily neutral. However, Brussels’ recent plans for a multi-billion-euro military build-up and increasingly assertive rhetoric have prompted debate over the bloc’s evolving role.
“The EU is no longer just an economic union. It can transform, and rather quickly, into a full-blown military alliance, one overtly hostile to Russia, and in some ways worse than NATO,” warned Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, last week.
EU leaders are also considering reforms to the enlargement process, potentially simplifying accession or introducing a “reverse” model allowing partial membership with limited rights before full compliance. In February, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama proposed a two-tier integration model granting market access to non-member Balkan states, an idea rebuffed by Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos.
With the EU facing economic headwinds, ongoing tensions with Russia, and internal challenges to cohesion, the appeal of accession may be less straightforward than Brussels anticipates.
