Amendments tabled by the S&D Group, with co-signatories from the Greens/EFA, to the European Parliament's annual report on Serbia would harden the text's stance on Belgrade's deepening security cooperation with China and add a legal warning over alleged use of an acoustic weapon against protesters. The proposed changes, published on 30 June 2026, target two paragraphs of the draft report by rapporteur Tonino Picula (S&D).
The first amendment would replace the current language of "concern" over Serbia's military build-up and security ties with China with a direct "strong condemnation" of specific actions, including joint special forces exercises, the expansion of strategic agreements, and the growing presence of Chinese security and surveillance technology. The second amendment addresses credible allegations that an acoustic weapon was used against peaceful protesters and the lack of a transparent investigation. While the original text expresses "deep concern," the amendment adds that "failure to investigate such allegations may constitute a violation of the European Convention on Human Rights," linking Serbia's inaction to potential breaches of international law.
The amendments are proposed ahead of the committee vote on the report, which will then go to plenary for adoption. The S&D and Greens/EFA groups are pushing for a stronger signal from the Parliament on both external security risks and internal rule-of-law failures in Serbia, a candidate country for EU membership. The original report, covering the European Commission's 2025 assessment of Serbia's progress, had already flagged concerns over democratic backsliding and foreign policy alignment. The proposed changes would sharpen the Parliament's message, potentially complicating relations with Belgrade and raising the stakes for Serbia's EU accession negotiations.