Representatives of the EU Delegation to BiH delivered to the leadership of the National Assembly of Republika Srpska a positive opinion of the European Commission about Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU membership application, as well as an analytical report, the first such report submitted along with the opinion, comparing the state of play in BiH with standards applied in the Union.
Representatives of the EU Delegation underlined that the European Commission took the BiH application very seriously, confirming that the EU was committed to giving the country guidelines and support for the implementation of the necessary reforms on its path to European integration.
The Opinion identifies 14 key priorities that BiH has to achieve in order to open up negotiations for accession and offers comprehensive guidelines for gradual reforms, reports the National Assembly.
The key priorities cover the fields of democracy and functionality, rule of law, fundamental rights, and public administration reform, and form the basis for the process of EU accession.
The Opinion provides the basis for discussion in the EU Council, which is supposed to make a decision about BiH’s further steps on its path to the EU.
Representatives of the EU Delegation pointed out that, with this in mind, it was crucial to form authorities at all levels in BiH without delay, which the European Commission too stated in its recommendations.
“Formation of authorities at all levels is a key political requirement that has to be met so that the country can begin to achieve the short-term priorities of the European Commission in the next 12 months,” said the EU Delegation.
The EU Delegation representatives said the Delegation was willing to help the National Assembly of Republika Srpska in the approximation of its legislation with the EU’s, stressing that it was a long process.
The documents were handed to the parliament deputy speakers Sonja Karadžić Jovičević and Milan Petković.
Jovičević voiced Republika Srpska’s commitment to European integration and expressed pleasure with the fact that European integration of BiH was not conditioned with membership of military alliances, that is, NATO, adding that that made cooperation easier.
She thanked the EU Delegation for their willingness to assist in the process of reaching closer to the EU.
Petković emphasised that Republika Srpska representatives were satisfied with the EC’s positive opinion and voiced hope for good cooperation in the future.
