Updated: June 15, 2023
Presentation of the Serbian Judicial Functional Review to the EU Commission in Brussels – May 2023
On May 16, 2023, the Delegation of Serbian judicial stakeholders together with the World Bank team hosted an event in Brussels to present key findings from the 2021 Serbia Judicial Function Review and progress achieved since 2014. The Serbian delegation was comprised of the President of the High Prosecutorial Council Mr. Branko Stamenković, member of the High Judicial Council, Ms. Snežana Bjeloglić and Assistant Minister to the Ministry of Justice, Mr. Branislav Stojanović. The presentation was organized at the World Bank Office in Brussels and gathered a range of the EU Commission colleagues who work on judicial reform in Countries of the Western Balkans and Easter Partnership.
Serbian judicial stakeholders highlighted the importance of the Serbia Judicial Functional Review for the EU accession process and negotiation under the Chapter 23. Ms. Bjeloglić said that the Functional Review presents a data-rich analysis that will support the High Judicial Council in the implementation of reform activities under the Chapter 23. Assistant Minister Stojanović highlighted the value of the new Functional Review which was assessment of the results of the judicial reform processes. President of the High Prosecutorial Council, stressed the importance of the iterative process employed throughout the preparation of the Serbia Judicial Functional Review, as a good example on hot to build a consensus over the important issues in the judicial reform. In addition, the President underlined importance of covering the whole justice sector by the Judicial Functional Review, courts and prosecutors’ offices.
Mr. Srdjan Svirčev, Task Team Leader of the MDTF-JSS and Ms. Marina Matic Boskovic, justice reform expert, presented on behalf of the MDTF-JSS key parameters of the Serbia Judicial Functional Review. They explained the process and methodology of data collection, consultation and preparation of the Functional Review.
Representatives of DG JUST and DG NEAR welcomed this visit and noticed that this kind of knowledge exchange and direct communication with their Serbian counterparts could be a good model for further structuring of the activities within the Chapter 23 implementation process.
