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After a long wait of six years, Brussels has proposed this Wednesday to grant Bosnia Herzegovina the status of a candidate country to join the EU. It is above all a political signal of European commitment to the Balkans in the midst of the war in Ukraine, a region that is also disputed by Russia and China.
In fact, the report produced by the team of Ursula von der Leyen notes that Bosnia has not done its homework. In the last year, there has been little progress in the reforms political and judicial or in the fight against corruption due to the political blockade that grips the country, divided between Serbs, Croats and Bosnian Muslims.
“The brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine highlights the importance of EU enlargement, which takes on new geopolitical significance. It is a long-term investment in peace, prosperity and stability for our continent.“, said the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
[Los Balcanes piden a la UE que no les relegue en beneficio de Ucrania para su entrada al club]
“The recommendation to grant candidate status is a historic moment for the citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina. I urge the country’s leaders to make the most of this historic opportunity and quickly execute the reforms identified in our recommendation”, claims the Commissioner for Enlargement, the Hungarian Oliver Varhelyi.
Indeed, the European Commission makes the opening of accession negotiations conditional on the implementation by Bosnia-Herzegovina of 14 priority reforms in terms of democratic standards and fight against corruption and organized crime.
The straw nail brussels is holding on to to grant candidate country status is the commitment made by the country’s political leaders to implement the EU recommendations, something they have not done so far.
“Despite the political turmoil and the upcoming general election, political party leaders represented in the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia-Herzegovina in June 2022 they got engaged with the principles to ensure a functional Bosnia-Herzegovina that go down the european road“, says the European Commission.
Bosnia-Herzegovina applied to join the European Union in February 2016 and it has taken more than six years to receive a positive response. In fact, has been overtaken by both Ukraine and Moldovawho submitted their applications after the outbreak of the war and received the green light from European leaders in June.
The final decision on Bosnia-Herzegovina’s candidacy must be taken by the Heads of State and Government, probably at their meeting in December. If it is finally accepted, the only territory in the Balkans that does not have this status will be Kosovowhich moreover has not even been recognized by five Member States, including Spain.
