EU member state leaders have given the green light for Bosnia and Herzegovina to begin EU accession negotiations, European Council President Charles Michel announced on 21 March, IntelliNews reports.
Bosnia applied for EU membership back in 2016, but the necessary reforms were slow to take place – not least because of political strife – and the country was eventually granted candidate status in October 2022.
Michel wrote on X:
The European Council has just decided to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Congratulations! Your place is in our European family. Today’s decision is a key step forward on your EU path. Now the hard work needs to continue so Bosnia and Herzegovina steadily advances, as your people want.
Earlier in March, the European Commission recommended that the European Council unfreeze the start of negotiations with Bosnia because the country had made significant progress. This came after the European Council said in December 2023 that it would agree to start negotiations once the country fulfils all the necessary requirements – a list of 14 key priorities, including reforms and the adoption of a number of laws.
In its decision, the European Council praised Bosnia’s progress and said the negotiating framework would be prepared so that negotiations could begin as soon as Bosnia fulfils the conditions set in October 2022.
Bosnia had to adopt three key laws and start negotiations on co-operation with Frontex. However, the last of these laws – on courts – has yet to be passed: the process is being blocked by Serbian members of the government. The decision was warmly welcomed by leading Bosnian politicians. State-level Prime Minister Borjana Kristo wrote on X:
On behalf of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as on my own behalf, I sincerely thank EU Council and Charles Michel for tonight’s decision to open accession negotiations for to join the [EU].
Željko Komšić, the current Chairman of Bosnia’s Trilateral Chairmanship, said the 21 March decision was excellent and thanked the European Council.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković also congratulated Bosnia from outside the country. Croatia has been working hard over the past months to help Bosnia get the green light for EU accession negotiations. “We have succeeded,” Plenković wrote on page X.
