Expo 2027: Anti-Corruption Council Calls for Full Procurement Disclosure

The Serbian government’s Anti-Corruption Council on Monday, 2 November, called for changes to the special law governing Expo 2027 and asked the government and the state company Expo 2027 to publish all available information on procurement for the exhibition’s buildings, including work done under international agreements or direct arrangements. The company replied the same afternoon that it already informs the public about all of its procurement.

What the Council says

The Council argues that the public interest behind the lex specialis for Expo Belgrade 2027 has not been adequately explained, and that urgency alone does not justify setting aside the regular rules on procurement, expropriation and construction. It warns that procurement under a bylaw rather than the Law on Public Procurement gives bidders weaker legal protection, and that a closed circle of participants creates corruption risks. The Council did not say that corruption had been established.

It also objects to a provision that lets new Expo buildings be used without an occupancy permit, on the basis of a report by a technical commission formed by the investor, calling the permit an important safety check. And it notes that the area covered by the related national stadium spatial plan grew from 119 hectares to 350.43 and then to 813.6 hectares.

Four recommendations

The Council’s main recommendations ask the government to require occupancy permits for Expo buildings; to apply the special law in line with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2024–2028; to publish all procurement data; and to limit the law in area, type of building and time.

Expo 2027’s reply

Expo 2027 d.o.o. said it does not carry out procurement under international agreements, but under Serbian law, and that building infrastructure and facilities is not its responsibility. All procurement and contracts within its remit, it said, are published in a dedicated Expo section of the Public Procurement Portal.

The cost question

According to Južna Srbija Info’s summary of the Council report, the Fiscal Council has estimated that the Expo and related infrastructure could cost about €3.4 billion in total, while Expo director Danilo Jerinić has said spending does not exceed the planned €1.3 billion. The Student List, which won the 25 October election, has promised audits of state-funded projects and publication of all contracts, so the Council’s report lands on the incoming government’s desk with the exhibition due to open on 15 May 2027.