Brussels, 16/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 December, the foreign affairs ministers adopted a renewed EU approach to Bosnia-Herzegovina on its path to EU accession, “throughout which all conditions, including the implementation of the Sejdic-Finci ruling will have to be met”. The Sejdic-Finci ruling brings Bosnia's constitution into line with the European Convention on Human Rights.
In its conclusions, the Council calls on High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn to continue working with Bosnia-Herzegovina's leaders “to secure at the earliest its irrevocable written commitment” to undertake reforms in the framework of the EU accession process. “The overall objective is to establish functionality and efficiency at all levels of government and allow Bosnia and Herzegovina to prepare itself for future EU membership”, the foreign affairs ministers state.
The ministers said that the text would also contain a commitment to work in consultation with the EU on an initial programme of reforms, in line with the acquis communautaire. “This agenda should include first and foremost reforms under the Copenhagen criteria (socio-economic reforms including the compact for growth and jobs, rule of law, good governance) and also agreed functionality issues (including the EU coordination mechanism)”, the Council stated. In October 2013, the European Commission announced that the continuation of funding under the pre-accession instrument will be subject to implementation of a coordination mechanism.
The Council called on Mogherini and Hahn to report regularly on the progress made in achieving this commitment and on how this is reflected in the work of all the institutions concerned. “Once the written commitment has been agreed by the BiH Presidency, signed by the BiH political leaders and endorsed by the BiH Parliament, the Council will decide on the entry into force of the stabilisation and association agreement”, the ministers stated. Hahn hoped that by “the end of January, beginning of February”, all the parties will have signed this commitment, with this depending also on the formation of the new government - the swift formation of which is of “crucial importance”, the ministers reiterated.
The foreign affairs ministers warned that significant progress on implementing the reform programme, including the compact for growth and jobs, would be needed for an accession application to be assessed by the EU. “When requesting the Commission's opinion on the membership application, the Council will ask the Commission to pay particular attention to the implementation of the Sejdic-Finci ruling”, they added. This decision would not therefore be a prerequisite for the stabilisation and association agreement to enter into force. (CG)