The National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia adopted the Law on the Establishment and Functioning of the Cohesion Policy Management System on 23 April 2026. The Law was published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia (“Official Gazette of the RS”, No. 35/2026).
The purpose of this Law is to establish a management and control system of the European Union Cohesion Policy implementation, as well as to establish a procedure for preparing relevant documents in accordance with the Cohesion Policy objectives and obligations of the Republic of Serbia that must be fulfilled prior to the completion of accession negotiations between the Republic of Serbia and the European Union. This primarily entails the establishment of an institutional framework and the strengthening of capacities for the implementation of Cohesion Policy funds, as well as the preparation of planning and programming documents that direct the funds towards priority areas and investments. This is a systemic law of strategic importance for the Republic of Serbia, representing one of the key preconditions for closing Chapter 22 – Regional Policy and Coordination of Structural Instruments (Cluster 5), as well as an important step in the overall process of Serbia’s accession to the European Union.
The proposed Law clearly regulates the basic elements of the system: the strategic framework, the programming process, conditions for the use of funds, the management and control system, mechanisms for preventing irregularities and fraud, monitoring, reporting, evaluation and financial management, as well as issues related to strengthening the capacities of institutions and beneficiaries. At the same time, the Law leaves sufficient room for detailed organisational and operational matters to be regulated through by-laws, in accordance with the development of European legislation and the institutional needs of the Republic of Serbia.
