Candidate since 2012 and negotiating since 2014: Serbia's place in the European Union process

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Candidate since 2012 and negotiating since 2014: Serbia's place in the European Union process

Background

Because the European Commission and the Council of Europe have spoken this week about the next stage of Serbia's reforms, the accession record is worth setting out. Serbia applied for EU membership on 22-12-2009. The EU-Serbia Stabilisation and Association Agreement was signed on 29-04-2008 in Luxembourg and entered into force on 01-09-2013. In March 2012 Serbia was granted EU candidate status. The first Intergovernmental Conference, held on 21 January 2014, marked the formal start of Serbia's accession negotiations. Of the 35 negotiating chapters, 22 have been opened and two of them provisionally closed.

Membership application: 22-12-2009 Candidate status: March 2012 Negotiations opened: 21 January 2014 Chapters opened: 22 out of 35

Why it matters for exams: Serbia was granted EU candidate status in March 2012 and its accession negotiations formally began with the first Intergovernmental Conference on 21 January 2014; 22 of the 35 chapters have been opened.

Kerala PSCUPSC

27 October 2026 Source: European Commission, Directorate-General for Enlargement and Eastern Neighbourhood

In plain words

SAA Stabilisation and Association Agreement — The treaty that frames relations between the European Union and a Western Balkan state before accession.