Bosnia And Herzegovina's Path To The European Union

When Stagnation Becomes The Norm: Bosnia And Herzegovina's Path To The European Union Presented by: Mr. Žižić Date: April 18, 2025 The Accession of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union - Bosnia and Herzegovina (B-H) is currently one of five Western Balkan countries with EU candidate status - B-H completed SAA in 2015 and applied for EU membership in 2016 - B-H obtained EU candidate status in December 2022 and received conditional approval for the accession negotiations in March 2024 - As of March 2025, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet met all conditions to open accession negotiations - B-H has not yet adopt and submit its Reform agenda as a prerequisite to receive EU funds from Reform and Growth Facility - B-H was the last of Western Balkan candidate countries to complete SAA, last to submit EU membership application and last to receive EU candidate status - B-H is the only Western Balkan candidate country without an adopted negotiating framework - B-H is the only Western Balkan country without approved Reform agenda - Along with Serbia, B-H has not fully implemented EU restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus - EU accession progress of Western Balkan countries is generally stalled, with B-H as the „champion" of stagnation on the EU path The EU Path - In December 2024, Council concluded that the integration dynamics of B-H have been stalled, and urged all domestic political actors to: • 1. Implement the necessary reforms, • 2. Appoint a chief negotiator and a national IPA coordinator under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) III, • 3. Develop a national program for the adoption of the EU acquis, • 4. Adopt and submit its Reform agenda, • 5. Fully implement EU restrictive measures against Russia and Belarus Where Are The Problems? - Almost 30 years after concluding Dayton Peace Agreement, B-H is still under the protectorate of international community - Office of High Representative (OHR) of international community in Sarajevo is the center of executive and legislative power in B-H - Domestic political institutions and political actors are dependent on international actors, with the US diplomacy as the most influential external actor in B-H - B-H is deeply divided (plural) society with Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs as the three societal segments (pillars) - There is no consensus on the political system and state community among the three constitutive peoples and their political representatives - According to poll from June 2024, there is an overall support of accession to the EU of 71,2% (83,8% support in the Federation of B-H and 48,3% support in the Republika of Srpska) - Dayton Constitution from 1995 established power-sharing mechanisms to regulate relations between three constitutive peoples - The EU calls for constitutional and electoral reforms in B-H „in line with European standards to eliminate all forms of inequality and discrimination in the electoral process" - Reforms are directed towards „liberalization" and abolishment of power-sharing mechanisms and they are only supported by Bosniak political actors who advocate majoritarian institutions - Constitutional and electoral reforms affect delicate balance of power among three constitutive peoples - EU does not call for abolishment of OHR with its unlimited powers and no democratic legitimacy - Dayton constitutional system and its power-sharing arrangements are not obstacle to EU integration of B-H - Similar power-sharing arrangements exist in Belgium and South Tyrol (Italy) and they are not considered to be discriminatory - The main causes of ongoing stagnation of B-H's path to the EU are: • Deep domestic divisions on basic political issues and • External interventionism that hinder compromises of domestic political actors What Is To Be Done? - After almost 30 years of extensive external regulation of B-H's state and society, responsibility for the state and society should be handed to the domestic political representatives - B-H as an international protectorate can not become full EU member