The European Union and the Republic of Serbia have agreed to a Strategic Partnership, a collaborative effort focused on sustainable raw materials, battery value chains, and electric vehicles. The memorandum was signed on July 19 by Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations, and Foresight of the European Commission, and Dubravka Đedovič Handanović, the Minister of Mining and Energy of the Republic of Serbia.
The signing occurred during the High-Level Summit on critical raw materials in Belgrade. This partnership, which aims to promote the development of new local industries and high-quality jobs related to the electric vehicle value chain, is a testament to the power of collaboration. It adheres to high environmental and social standards and addresses local community concerns transparently. It also establishes a framework for public-private solid engagement involving EU institutions, industrial actors, business associations, social partners, civil society representatives, relevant EU Member States and Serbia ministries, public organisations, financial institutions, and investors.
The partnership is built on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (‘SAA’) that came into force on September 1, 2013 and aligns with the EU’s New Growth plan for the Western Balkans. It is seen as advancing Serbia’s integration into the EU’s single market and further enhancing its economic, social, and environmental alignment with the EU. Following the signing of the memorandum, the EU and Serbia will work together to develop, within six months, a roadmap with specific actions to implement the Strategic Partnership.
Five areas of cooperation
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Serbia and the EU aims to enhance cooperation in five key areas: Developing value chains for raw materials, batteries, and electric vehicles (EVs); cooperating on research and innovation (R&I) and sharing knowledge of sustainable materials; applying high environmental and social standards and practices throughout the value chains; mobilising financial and investment support for projects through various EU initiatives, and developing necessary skills for high-quality jobs in raw materials and battery sectors.
The European Commission has initiated partnerships on critical raw materials with several countries to secure the EU’s sustainable supply. The Critical Raw Materials Act supports projects to develop strategic raw materials capacities across all value chain stages.
