Following the initiative by our Serbian member, Civic Initiatives, Balkan Civil Society Development Network (BCSDN) has facilitated high-level advocacy meetings in Brussels from October 1-3 to raise awareness on the growing crackdown on civic freedoms in Serbia and to call on the EU to stand with the Serbian citizens demanding greater government accountability especially in light of growing concerns and protests over lithium mining.
A key event during our visit was a public hearing in the European Parliament, hosted by Green MEPs Gordan Bosanac and Vladimir Prebilič. The meeting was organized in response to our urgent Call for an end to the crackdown on Serbian civic freedoms and the extensive report from Civic Initiatives we have shared with them, documenting the escalating attacks on civil society in Serbia. This hearing provided a critical platform to highlight the repression of activists and organizations, amplifying the voices of those on the frontlines of defending civic space.
This session united prominent representatives from Serbian civil society to confront the intensifying repression of activists, using the protests against the Rio Tinto Jadar project as a compelling illustration. Uroš Jovanović from CI, Iva Marković from Polekol, Mirko Popović from RERI, Sofija Todorović from YIHR, and Andrej Petrovski from the Share Foundation highlighted the various tactics employed to suppress, delegitimize, and undermine the large-scale, peaceful grassroots movement advocating for greater government accountability and the protection of environmental and human rights in Serbia. They stressed the urgent need for the EU to better understand and respond to the legitimate concerns of Serbian citizens, and to strengthen its monitoring of rule of law and fundamental rights as part of Serbia’s EU accession process. BCSDN Executive Director Biljana Spasovska underscored the broader regional consequences of the EU’s continued silence in the face of such widespread violations of democracy and civic freedoms in Serbia, warning that this undermines the credibility and legitimacy of the accession process, which is intended to strengthen democracy.
The MEPs expressed hope that this hearing would serve as a crucial step toward an EU response aimed at protecting those fighting for democracy, human rights, and a just green transition in Serbia.
In addition to the public hearing, BCSDN facilitated several key meetings with EU institutions to convey the same message to the representatives of the European Parliament’s Directorate-General for External Policies (DG EXPO), The Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission (DG NEAR) as well as DG Justice and the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
During our Brussels visit, we also attended the POLITICO Competitive Europe Week summit, where policymakers, industry experts, and civil society representatives discussed key challenges facing Europe’s economic future. The event provided an opportunity to engage with broader European concerns, such as economic growth, global competition, and technological advancements, while connecting these discussions to our advocacy efforts on civic freedoms in the region.
Our advocacy visit to Brussels was a significant step forward in raising awareness about the situation in Serbia and strengthening our relationships with EU stakeholders dedicated to protecting civic space, democracy, and human rights. We hope this visit has laid the foundation for more visible EU actions to support more democratic, accountable rule of law and green transformation of Serbia. We remain committed to closely monitoring the situation and continuing to bring this issue to the forefront, ensuring that citizens in the Balkans have the space and the right to demand greater transparency, accountability and involvement in the policy-making that shapes their future.