Serbia: Statement by the Spokesperson on the referendum about Constitutional amendments

F.P. Report

BRUSSELS: According to preliminary results, voters who went to the polls on Sunday in Serbia to vote on amendments to the Constitution, expressed support to the proposal.

The EU welcomes the completion of this important step in the Constitutional reform with a view to strengthening the independence of the judiciary, in line with Serbia’s strategic choice to accede to the European Union.

The reform process to strengthen the independence of the judiciary does not end here and needs to continue. A number of laws need to be amended for the effective implementation of the constitutional amendments. These should be prepared as a matter of priority through a holistic reform of the relevant laws, in line with European standards.

We welcome the Serbian Government’s intention to continue involving the Venice Commission in the next steps. The EU will continue to closely follow this process and provide financial and technical support for the  implementation of justice reforms.

At the same time, the EU regrets that it was not possible to find an agreement with the government of Kosovo allowing the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to collect the ballots in Kosovo, in accordance with past practice.