“The EU Delegation/EUSR underlines that the fundamental rights of all citizens must be upheld without reservation, as an essential prerequisite of a healthy democracy, according to the laws and regulations in force, and this includes of course freedom of expression. This is particularly the case in a country aspiring to meet the political criteria for EU membership. The EU stands fully behind freedom of expression, a fundamental freedom safeguarded by international law, including the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which is an integral part of the functioning of a pluralistic democracy. Any regulation must be necessary, clearly defined and prescribed by the respective legislation.  We believe that the definitions in the RS law on public order remain vague and leave too much room for arbitrary implementation.  Having this in mind we call upon the responsible authorities to ensure clarity and proportionality in legislation and its implementation.

“We will be closely monitoring developments with regard to the RS Law on Public Peace and Order. Freedom of expression and media freedom are regularly monitored within the Copenhagen political criteria and assessed in the annual Progress report published by the European Commission.”