Serbia, Georgia and Turkey face EU accession limits over alignment

European Commission annual assessments, described in a Euronews report published Nov. 4, put Serbia, Georgia and Turkey at the bottom of the EU’s alignment test, with Serbia at 63% and Turkey rated “very low.”

The Commission’s approach could restrict access to “gradual integration,” its staged accession process, while four other candidates are labelled “frontrunners” in the reports, according to Euronews.

Brussels is giving greater weight to whether candidate countries follow EU foreign and security policy, the Euronews report said, citing Commission reports and senior EU officials who spoke to reporters.

“Common security and defence policy has become an increasingly important dimension in the accession process,” a senior EU official told reporters. “Particularly in the context we are at the moment, we believe that candidate countries already contribute to the Union's security.”

The EU is seeking deeper cooperation with candidates on defence, border controls, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, the report said. Alignment with sanctions on Russia is treated as an important measure of that cooperation.

Serbia’s position is mixed. The Commission report cited by Euronews points to negative trends in the “fundamentals” cluster, covering rule of law, the judiciary and fundamental rights, even as Belgrade has advanced technical work linked to the internal market.

Serbia’s 63% foreign-policy alignment leaves it well behind the EU’s expectations. The report said Belgrade’s ties with China and Russia run against EU positions, including its refusal to join sanctions on Russia, Belarus and Iran.

A senior EU official said Serbia’s new political opening could help accession work. “This is an opportunity to advance this whole process of accession. And we’re ready to engage with the incumbent government and help them to translate the stated priorities, particularly in the areas of fundamentals, into concrete reforms,” the official said.

Kosovo remains another obstacle. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said at the Euronews Enlargement Summit on Tuesday that Serbia’s new government is unlikely to recognise Kosovo, according to the report.

Georgia is described in the report as a deeper accession problem. EU officials said the country has made no progress on the nine steps attached to its candidate status, and the EU in March suspended visa-free travel for holders of Georgian diplomatic, service and official passports.

The Georgian government said in 2024 that it would not pursue accession talks until 2028. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the Commission of double standards and political games at the Euronews summit on Tuesday, while not retreating from disputed legislation, the report said.

“There is no prospect of changing this unless the Georgian authorities urgently change course. And this really requires a renewed commitment to the fundamental principles of democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights. We, of course, remain committed to the European aspirations of the Georgian people,” a second senior EU official said.

Turkey is the only candidate whose foreign-policy alignment is rated “very low,” according to the report. The Commission also said Ankara has increased cooperation where interests overlap, including trade, migration, regional security and connectivity.

Turkey’s role is commercially and strategically relevant because of the Middle Corridor, the transport route linking Europe with Central Asia while avoiding Russia and the Suez Canal, Euronews reported.

“The circumvention of EU sanctions against Russia remains important. Turkey has made some progress, but should make more progress,” the second senior EU official said.

Source: news report, Euronews, Nov. 4, 2026