EU warns Serbia, Montenegro over journalist entry bans

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 28 July 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

The European Commission warned Serbia and Montenegro that reciprocal bans on journalists breach democratic norms and media freedom expected of EU accession candidates. The warning follows mutual entry refusals and a broadcaster suspension.

Summary

BRUSSELS — The European Commission has expressed concern over reciprocal bans imposed on journalists by Serbia and Montenegro, warning that restrictions affecting media workers are inconsistent with the democratic values expected of countries seeking membership in the European Union.

In comments provided to Radio Free Europe, the Commission said candidate countries are expected to uphold freedom of expression and media freedom, adding that measures limiting journalists' ability to work are incompatible with the standards required for progress toward EU accession.

EU links media freedom to accession

The latest warning follows a series of tit-for-tat actions between the two neighboring countries involving journalists and media executives.

Earlier this month, Serbian authorities denied entry to Montenegrin journalists Petar Komnenic and Vuk Maras. On July 23, RTV Podgorica director Vladimir Otasevic was also refused entry to Serbia. Those decisions came after Montenegro barred the editor-in-chief of Serbia's Informer tabloid from entering the country and suspended the broadcaster's signal for six months over hate speech concerns.

The European Commission said enlargement partners must respect democratic principles, fundamental rights, freedom of expression, and media freedom. It stressed that journalists should be able to carry out their work without unjustified restrictions and that progress toward EU membership requires a clear commitment to those principles.

Regional implications

The dispute has drawn attention because both Serbia and Montenegro remain on the EU enlargement path, with Brussels closely monitoring reforms related to the rule of law, democratic governance, and media freedom. Montenegro is currently the most advanced Western Balkan candidate in accession negotiations, while Serbia's progress has faced increasing scrutiny.

The Commission's intervention highlights growing concern that bilateral political disputes should not be allowed to undermine journalists' freedom of movement or create barriers to cross-border reporting. Press freedom organizations have also urged Serbian authorities to lift the restrictions and provide legal justification for the entry bans.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting by JournalismPakistan, based on publicly available reports by Radio Free Europe, the European Commission, and European Western Balkans published on July 28, 2026.

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.