Coalition prEUgovor Reform Agenda for 2019

Coalition prEUgovor believes that in 2019 it is necessary to drastically change the attitude towards the implementation of the reforms that the Republic of Serbia has committed to within the process of membership negotiations with the European Union. The prEUgovor coalition reminds that Serbia's membership in the EU should not and must not be the goal in itself, but a means towards achieving essential progress in further democratization of Serbia.

We consider it is of crucial importance in 2019 that:

1) State authorities of the Republic of Serbia and holders of the highest public functions:

  • shift the focus from normative and institutional design (i.e. adoption of new and changes of existing regulations) to the consistent enforcement of laws that must provide positive, measurable effects on the ground and in the lives of citizens;
  • enable the conditions for an uninterrupted social, political and every other kind of public dialogue on key issues, primarily in the institutions of the Republic of Serbia and in the public sphere;
  • demonstrate full commitment to proclaimed goals and values in practice, above all improving the quality of democracy in Serbia, establishing the rule of law and protecting the rights of the most vulnerable ones;

2) Institutions of the European Union and Member States:

  • pay special attention to the quality of democratic institutions, the rule of law, citizens' liberties and rights in accordance with their fundamentals first principle of membership negotiations;
  • consider the possibility of introducing new instruments (such as independent, expert, comprehensive reports based on the Priebe report for all countries of the Western Balkans) that would ensure reversal of negative trends and provide basic prerequisites for democratic functioning of the state and the rule of law.

Read more on key recommendations for 2019. and what were the developements in 2018.