On Monday 10 July, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina needed to strengthen its reform efforts.
"The focus has to remain on the Reform Agenda, both on the economy and also on the rule of law (...) We agreed, I think, that more and faster will be our guiding principles for a common work to be continued", Mogherini said, at the end of the second Stabilisation and Association Council between the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina. She added that she and Zvizdić had agreed that the coming weeks and months would be useful for reforming excise duty and also for concluding common strategies on energy, agriculture and employment. "We will continue working on the priorities to increase growth and stimulate the economy, and on the fight against corruption, organised crime and terrorism", Zvizdić said.
Accession to the European Union "is at the end of the day all about reforms and it is in particular about transforming the economy, the rule of law and the public administration of a country, first and foremost to respond to the citizens' needs and aspirations", Mogherini stated. Zvizdić added that he hoped his country would officially be an accession candidate at the next Stabilisation and Association Council – which will take place in a year's time.
The joint statement published at the end of the Council also states that it is important for the Bosnian authorities to prepare a strategic programme for the country's legal approximation with the EU, as required under the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and to ensure smooth functioning of all joint EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina bodies, including the stabilisation and association parliamentary committee. The Council also said that Sarajevo "urgently" needs to meet international standards on anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism, and to take further steps in this regard, notably to prevent and fight radicalisation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)