Although the European Commission’s progress reports on gender equality in Serbia are modest in both scope and content, with relatively moderate conclusions, they still indicate insufficient activity and commitment of the state, reflected in the lack of implementation or (serious) delays in planned activities. What is missing from these progress reports, however, are comments on the quality of changes - amendments and supplements to laws made with the aim of aligning them with the acquis communautaire - and the effects of implemented measures and activities on the actual state of human rights, including the rights of women, and the achievement of equality of women and men in all spheres of public and private life.

For these reasons, and considering the EU’s gender equality policy, the European Commission should pay much greater attention to the content of the planned reform activities related to the topic of non-discrimination and the status of vulnerable groups and should clearly note the content regression in Serbia’s progress reports, and not just the delay in the realisation of the activities. Without this, the statement that the equality of women and men is a fundamental value of the EU, and the emphasis on commitment to the goals of gender equality, will remain only declarative in nature.

Read the full analysis made by Tanja Ignjatovic here.