History

14 December 2021  The decision on the opening of negotiating Cluster 1 - “Green agenda” and sustainable connectivity was made at the Thirteenth Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg.

22 June 2021 The decision on the opening of negotiating Cluster 1 - Fundamentals was made at the Twelfth Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. The meeting marks a milestone in the evolution of the accession negotiations since it is the first to have taken place since the Council approved the revised enlargement methodology, which now also applies to the accession process of Serbia.

10 December 2019 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapter 4 was made at the Eleventh Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating position of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 4 - Free movement of capital.

27 June 2019 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapter 9 was made at the Tenth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating position of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 9 - Financial Services was presented at the conference.

10 December 2018 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 17 and 18 was made at the Ninth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 17 - Economic and Monetary Policy and Chapter 18 - Statistics were presented at the conference.

25 June 2018 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 13 and 33 was made at the Eighth Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 13 - Fisheries and Chapter 33 - Financial and Budgetary Provisions were presented at the conference.

11 December 2017 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 6 and 30 was made at the Seventh Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 6 -  Company Law and Chapter 30 – External Relations  were presented at the conference.

26 June 2017 The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Law on Amendments to the Law on Ministries, establishing the Ministry of European Integration. The Ministry started operating on the date when this law entered into force, on 27 June 2017, when the European Integration Office of the Government of the Republic of Serbia ceased to exist.

20 June 2017 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 7 and 29 was made at the Sixth Intergovernmental Conference in Luxembourg. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 7 - Intellectual Property Law and Chapter 29 - Customs Union were presented at the conference.

27 February 2017 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 20 and 26 was made at the Fifth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 20 – Enterprise and Industrial Policy and Chapter 26 – Education and Culture were presented at the conference.

13 December 2016 The decision on the opening of negotiating Chapters 5 and 25 was made at the Fourth Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels. The negotiating positions of the Republic of Serbia for Chapter 5 - Public procurement and Chapter 25 - Science and research

18 July 2016 In Brussels was held the Third Intergovernmental Conference which marked the opening of Chapter 23 on judiciary and fundamental rights and Chapter 24 on justice, freedom and security.

14 December 2014 In Brussels was held the Second Intergovernmental Conference which marked the opening of Chapter 32 on financial control and Chapter 35 on normalization of Belgrade-Pristina ties.

21 Јаnuary 2014 In Brussels was held the First Intergovernmental Conference which marked the formal start of Serbia's negotiations to join the EU.

1 September 2013 – SAA entered into force, while IATTM (Interim Agreementon Trade and Trade-related Matters) was repealed.

22 July 2013 – EU Council confirmed that the SAA ratification was finalised in the Member States.

28 June 2013 European leaders at the meeting in Brussels decided to start accession negotiations with Serbia in January.

22 April 2013 EC recommended start of accession talks with Serbia.

19 April 2013 European Parliament adopted report on Serbia’s progress in the EU integration.

1 March 2012 The European Council has granted Serbia membership candidate status.

12 October 2011 European Commission presented its annual Enlargement Package in which it recommended that Serbia be given the status of candidate for membership in the EU. The European Commission recommends to open negotiations with Serbia as soon as Belgrade achieves further good progress in normalising the relations with Kosovo.

22 April 2011 Serbia sent European Commission the last set of Answers to the Additional Questions.

31 January 2011 The Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Mirko Cvetković, handed over to the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, the Answers to the European Commission’s Questionnaire sent to the RS in order to prepare the avis on Serbia’s application for EU membership.

9 January2011 The European Parliament ratified in Strasbourg the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and Serbia.

24 November 2010 The European Commissioner for Enlargement, Stefan Fule, submitted to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Mirko Cvetković, the European Commission’s Questionnaire sent to the RS RS in order to prepare the avis on Serbia’s application for EU membership, which when filled out, achieves one of the requirements for acquiring candidate status for EU membership.

25 October 2010 The Council of Foreign Ministers of European Union Member States adopted the decision to forward Serbia’s application for membership to the European Commission for consideration.14 June 2010 - The EU adopted the decision on initiating the ratification of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Serbia.

1 February2010 The Interim Trade Agreement between the European Union and Serbia came into force.

1 January 2010 The implementation of the TPA entered its second year, thus bringing the EU and Serbia into regulated relations.

22 December 2009 Serbia submitted its application for EU membership.

19 December 2009 The visa-free regime with the EU came into force. Citizens of the Republic of Serbia no longer need visas in order to travel to 25 member states of the European Union (EU), as well as to three countries that are not EU members, but part of the Schengen area.

7 December 2009 The EU adopts the decision on initiating the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU.

1 December 2009 The Lisbon Agreement came into force.

30 November 2009 The Council of the European Union published the document on visa liberalization with countries of the Western Balkans.

1 January 2009 Serbia initiated the implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU.

16 October 2008 Serbia adopted the decision on unilateral implementation of the Interim Trade Agreement between Serbia and the EU from 1 January 2009.

29 April 2008 The Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Serbia was signed (the EU adopted the decision not to implement the Interim Trade Agreement (TPA) signed along with the SAA).

7 November 2007 The Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Serbia ratified.

18 September The Agreement on Visa Facilitation and the Agreement on Readmission were signed between the European Union and the Republic of Serbia.

13 June 2007 The negotiations on concluding the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the European Union and Serbia continued (after the establishment of a new Government).

16 May 2007 Representatives of the Serbian Government and the European Commission in Brussels signed the agreements on visa facilitation and on readmission, which will allow free visas for students, scholars, business people and certain other categories of Serbian citizens.

May 2006 – June 2007 Negotiations called-off.

19 December 2006 The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) signed.

November 2006 The EU Council adopts the mandate for negotiating the agreements on visa facilitation and on readmission with Serbia (as the first step in abolishing visas).

End of May 2006 Montenegro proclaims independence by referendum.

3 May 2006 Due to insufficient cooperation with The Hague, negotiations with SCG called-off.

26 October 2005 The Treaty Establishing the Regional Energy Community of South Eastern Europe was signed.

10 October 2005 Negotiations were initialized between the European Union and Serbia and Montenegro on concluding the Stabilization and Association Agreement, which represents the first step towards EU integration.

April 2005 SCG receives a positive assessment in the Report on the readiness of Serbia and Montenegro to negotiate a Stabilization and Association Agreement with the EU (Feasibility Study).

December 2004 The EU adopts the “twin-track” approach according to which Montenegro and Serbia would separately negotiate the trade part of the SAA, while SCG would as a state jointly negotiate on the political part of the SAA.

Mid 2004 It became clear that a single market of SCG would not be established and that SCG would thus not be able to negotiate the economic part of SAA as one party.

October 2003 The first meeting of the “Enhanced Permanent Dialogue” was held as a substitute for the “Consultative Task Force”. Preparations took place for the Feasibility Study.

June 2003 The Summit in Thessaloniki confirmed the European future of states in the Western Balkans according to individual progress of each of them separately. The “regatta” principle was also adopted.

February 2003 The State Union of Serbia and Montenegro was established (an agreement was reached to establish a single market of Montenegro and Serbia).

February 2002 “Belgrade Agreement” – FRY is transformed into the state union of SCG (it becomes clear that FRY would not negotiate on the SAA).

July 2001 The “Consultative Task Force”, which had the responsibility of preparing the Feasibility Study for FRY, as a prelude to negotiations on the SAA, held its first meeting.

December 2000 The EU lifts tariffs on import of goods from FRY (expands Autonomous Trade Measures that were in effect earlier for the whole WB and FRY).

November 2000 EU Summit in Zagreb, FRY officially participated.

8 October Vojislav Koštunica as the President of FRY invited to the EU Summit in Biarritz (French chairmanship), FRY joins the SAP.

5 October 2000 Democratic changes in Serbia.

December 1999 The Summit in Santa Maria da Feira (Portuguese chairmanship) opened the perspective of WB membership in the EU.

June 1999 The Stabilization and Association Process – SAP for WB (during the German chairmanship of the EU). FRY was not included.