Eight EU member states oppose opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's accession talks

BRUSSELS - EU ambassadors debated on Wednesday an European Commission (EC) non-paper recommending opening Cluster 3 in Serbia's EU accession talks, with eight member states opposing the move.

The group, comprised of the three Baltic states, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria and Croatia, cited a lack of rule of law and failure to align with the EU foreign policy and the sanctions on Russia as the main reasons for their opposition, Tanjug learns.

Three countries - Luxembourg, Latvia and Denmark - said they were not convinced the cluster should be opened.

Taking into account Serbia's efforts on key issues, the EC has recommended opening Cluster 3 in July.