Twenty-nine members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are calling for a slowdown in Serbia's accession to the European Union, citing concerns over the Serbian government's alleged use of spyware against student activists and other targets. The MEPs' letter, issued on Friday, follows a report by the SHARE Foundation, Amnesty International, and The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto, which detailed the discovery of both Pegasus and NoviSpy spyware infections on the phones of Serbian student activists.
While the joint investigation did not attribute responsibility for the Pegasus infections, it stated that evidence related to the NoviSpy infections pointed to Serbian government authorities. The MEPs characterized the alleged surveillance as a "direct state attack on democracy," asserting that the regime of Aleksandar Vučić is employing illegal digital surveillance to systematically dismantle political opposition ahead of upcoming elections.
Among their demands, the MEPs are advocating for Serbia's EU accession process to be paused until an investigation into the country's spyware usage is completed. They also propose that accession be made contingent on demonstrable improvements in rule-of-law accountability. Additionally, the MEPs urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to cancel a planned visit to Serbia.
The spyware allegations add to existing pressures on Belgrade. Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos had already canceled her own visit to Serbia on Friday, reportedly due to outrage among European leaders over Serbia's response to the death of former Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladić and alleged glorification of the war criminal.
One MEP who signed the letter, Hannah Neumann, indicated that while the spyware issue is significant, it is not the sole reason for the increased scrutiny. She noted that the European Parliament has been critical of the Serbian government for some time regarding its history of spyware use, and the latest revelations represent "another straw."
The MEPs' letter emphasized that "appeasement has failed" and called on the European Commission to demonstrate that compliance with fundamental democratic standards is a "non-negotiable requirement." The Serbian government did not respond to requests for comment regarding the allegations.
The calls for action against Serbia come amidst broader discussions within the EU regarding spyware abuses. Recent revelations of spyware found on the device of a member of the European Parliament's PEGA Committee have prompted renewed calls for the implementation of recommendations from that committee to address such issues across the continent.
