At the General Affairs Council, on Tuesday 19 March, EU Member States’ European Affairs Ministers discussed the opening of EU accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, on which EU27 leaders will be asked to vote at the European Council on 21 and 22 March. The opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina was recommended to the Member States by the European Commission in its latest report, published on 12 March (see EUROPE 13369/1).
“The European Council will be an important signal of the significant momentum” on the issue of enlargement, said Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight.
The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hadja Lahbib, said that her counterparts from the EU Member States had “highlighted” the “positive measures” put in place by Sarajevo and encouraged the Bosnian authorities to continue their work.
The heads of state or government of the Member States will be asked to address this issue at the next European Council. The discussion could prove complex, with several Member States expressing reservations as to whether the country has made sufficient progress on internal reforms to allow it to open accession negotiations with the EU.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been in the EU’s antechamber since 2016, when it applied to become a Member State. Last December, the European Commission recommended opening negotiations with Sarajevo “once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved”. The latest report on the subject indicates that the objectives have been achieved. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)