Civil Society Advancing Serbia’s EU Accession Process: Europe ASAP

Belgrade Open School (BOS), with the support of Sweden, is implementing the program "Civil Society for Advancing Serbia's Accession to the European Union – Europe ASAP." The program aims to contribute to the improvement of Serbia's accession process to the European Union and the development of a democratic society by increasing the impact of investigative media and civil society. The program began in June 2023 and will run until May 2026, consisting of three one-year cycles.

In 2023, Serbia is facing challenges related to the rule of law and democratic governance. The reform process in Serbia is characterized as slow, inadequate, and, in some aspects, regressive, marked by a reduction in democratic standards, human rights, and the rule of law. Instead of being recognized as partners in the EU accession process, civil society organizations and media are often excluded from fact-based policy dialogues.

To accelerate and enhance the pace of reforms and the accession process, the program aims to increase the influence of investigative media and rule of law advocates, i.e., civil society organizations in various fields. It should also improve citizens' understanding of the importance of civil society organizations and media in democratic governance, the defense and promotion of human rights, and overall reforms within the context of European integration, at the national, regional, and local levels.

The challenges addressed by this program include:

1. Insufficient Transparency and Accountability in Reform Management and Implementation.
2. The Underutilized Potential of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Investigative Media to Contribute to Serbia's EU Accession Process.
3. Limited Public Awareness and Involvement in the European Integration Process, Particularly among Youth.
4. Decreased Citizen Support and Understanding for Reforms and Serbia's EU Accession Process Due to Strong Anti-EU Campaigns, Disinformation, and Anti-Western Narratives.

Belgrade Open School (BOS) will provide financial and mentorship support, along with capacity-building programs, to annually support four media and ten civil society organizations (CSOs). Through this support, media and CSOs will be empowered to better inform citizens about the obstacles and engage them in Serbia's EU accession process. The program aims to counteract antidemocratic tendencies and combat Euroskepticism by fostering greater public awareness and participation.

Overall objective:  

To contribute to Serbia’s EU accession, democratic and overall development of Serbia based on increased impact of civil society and media. 

Specific objectives: 

• To enhance the impact of civil society and investigative media in contributing to ongoing EU boosted reforms and their actual implementation 
• To deepen citizens’ understanding and support to fundamentals, democratic reforms and Serbia’s EU accession process 

The program to support civil society and media in the field of European integration consists of the following components:

Programme activity 1: Financial and mentor support to partner media and CSOs

Programme activity 2: Capacity building and netowrking programme

Programme activity 3: Public outreach

Expected results: 

• Improved participation of investigative media and rule of law defenders within EU boosted reforms and Serbia’s EU accession process 
• Improved civil society contribution in sectoral policies and practices in line with Serbia’s EU accession agenda 
• Raised capacities of media for investigative reporting on obstacles, and challenges in implementation of rule of law, anti-corruption, good-governance and implementation of EU related reforms  
• Strengthened capacities of CSOs for participation in decision making and monitoring of EU boosted reforms and transposition and implementation of EU Acquis and values in Serbia 
• Well networked CSOs and media, engaged in peer-to-peer learning and contributing to reforms and Serbia’s EU accession 
• Diversified sources and type of knowledge and information on policy reforms due to EU accession and implementation of EU policies, values, and standards  
• Strengthened youth-led public discussion on the importance, benefits and challenges on fundamentals, Serbia’s EU accession and reforms 
• Innovative approaches to confronting anti-EU and anti-West narratives with facts and data applied 

The program will support media and civil society organizations that contribute to Serbia's EU accession process, the development of democracy, and overall progress in Serbia. The following thematic areas are particularly emphasized:

• European Integration (through monitoring the reform process, participation in decision-making processes, assessing institutional efficiency, and similar activities).
• Democratization (understood as citizens' efforts to improve democratic practices and enhance the functioning of democratic institutions, as well as resistance to authoritarian tendencies that threaten citizens' rights and undermine the democratic political order).
• Rule of Law and the Advancement of Human and Minority Rights.
• Judiciary, Corruption, Justice, Freedom, and Security.
• Public Procurement and Public Administration Reform.
• Media Freedom, Independent Journalism, and Media and Information Literacy.
• Youth Empowerment, Youth Activism, and Involvement in Decision-Making Processes

In the first year of the program, a total of 14 investigative media and civil society organizations were supported, along with their respective projects: