At the very beginning of the sitting, the Committee Chairperson said that the Annual Report would also be discussed at the National Assembly session, but that this too was an opportunity to talk about it.

She invited the European Union Ambassador and the Minister of European Integration to present the Report to the Committee.

Ambassador Andreas von Beckerath highlighted the great importance the European Union attaches to enlargement in the current geopolitical context, stressing that Serbia should seize this momentum of enlargement. Referring to the key findings of the European Commission's 2025 Report on Serbia, he pointed out that, while the Report recognizes some positive developments, the pace of reforms has slowed significantly over the past year. Credible reforms must be implemented in all areas, especially in the rule of law, the fight against corruption and freedom of expression. He also stressed that it is crucial to reduce the polarizing rhetoric in Serbia. He stressed that dialogue, bringing together different actors and constructive work is the only way forward. In this regard, the Ambassador highlighted that the EU accession process represents a strong and practical platform around which actors can cooperate in the interest of all citizens.

Minister of European Integration Nemanja Starovic emphasized that the Report provides a comprehensive overview of our country's progress on the path to EU membership. He stated that the Report carefully assesses the progress made over the past year, while at the same time identifying areas that require additional attention and commitment. He added that Serbia views the Report as a roadmap for concrete actions and reforms. He emphasized that the Report found Serbia to be moderately prepared in the areas of the judiciary, rule of law, fundamental rights and public administration reform. It says that further progress is needed in democratic institutions, the electoral process and parliamentary development. The Minister recalled that the National Assembly adopted the Law amending and modifying the Law on the Unified Electoral Roll, which envisages the introduction of a Commission with the aim of revising the unified electoral roll. He also addressed the rule of law and freedom of the media and emphasized that the Report notes a mixed picture, stating that the legal framework has improved, while the practical environment for journalists has deteriorated in certain aspects. The Minister also emphasized here that Serbia has adopted a set of laws concerning media services. Serbia has once again proven itself to be a reliable partner to the EU and that Serbia has taken steps to align with the EU's visa policy, implement reforms and commit to economic growth.

Kovacs used the opportunity to point out that the Committee unanimously supports the entry of the Republic of Serbia into the European Union and is working hard to improve conditions in this area, together with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ana Brnabic. She recalled that the goals were agreed at the beginning of the current legislature: strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and establishing a Working Group for the Improvement of the Electoral Process which will include the non-governmental sector. She also addressed the criticism of the election of members of the REM Council and underlined that no one from the ruling majority of the National Assembly is trying to block the process, and that the process is ongoing. Kovacs agreed that the National Assembly lacks an annual work plan and expressed satisfaction that the opposition MPs have returned to the plenary session, so that the discussion in the National Assembly would be more credible. She also used the opportunity to point out that the section of the Report relating to national minorities is incomplete and that Serbia’s the legal framework is one of the best in terms of legislature relating to national minority rights.

The Committee members discussed and provided comments on the Commission's Report, to which the Ambassador responded.

At the end of the sitting, Kovacs invited the Committee members to sign the Proposal of Conclusions on the European Commission 2025 Annual Report, to be submitted to the National Assembly for further discussion.

The sitting was chaired by Committee Chairperson Elvira Kovacs, and attended by the following Committee members and deputy members: Milan Radin, Nikola Lazic, Ana Miljanic, Goran Milic, Dubravka Filipovski, Branislav Josifovic, Sanja Dxajic, Dunja Simonovic Bratic, Zagorka Aleksic, Dr Ana Jakovljevic and Robert Kozma.