"BiH submitted its application for EU membership on the same week where the European Council discussed the UK referendum issue. This proved that the EU model is still attractive", said rapporteur Cristian Dan Preda (EPP, RO). "The European Parliament is determined to support the country’s move closer to Europe, calling on the Council to examine its membership application at the earliest opportunity and encouraging it to stay on the reform path", he added.
MEPs reiterated their unequivocal commitment to Bosnia & Herzegovina's European perspective and welcomed its application for EU membership, presented on 15 February 2016 . They call on authorities to continue constitutional, legal and political reforms and make steady progress towards EU integration.
The resolution condemns a proposed referendum in Republika Srpska on Bosnia & Herzegovina’s state-level judiciary, saying it challenges the country's cohesion, sovereignty and integrity . MEPs also deplored rampant corruption, and voiced concern about increased pressure on the judiciary by political players .
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/n ... a-say-MEPs
EP Research note on BiH:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/e ... 882_EN.pdf
In 2015, Bosnia and Herzegovina's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU finally
came into force, and in 2016 BiH applied for EU membership. Despite these positives which have
put it back on track for EU accession, BiH faces a host of deeply rooted domestic issues and reforms.
Political developments and the EU
Civil unrest in 2014, spurred by the dire socio-economic situation in BiH, was followed by a number of
political developments. In late 2014, the EU agreed a 'renewed approach' to BiH, under which concrete, socioeconomic
issues took priority over constitutional reforms. In return, in February 2015, BiH's new government
endorsed a written commitment to EU-related reforms, followed in July by a Reform Agenda (2015-2018).
These developments allowed the SAA, signed in 2008 but blocked by previous EU reform priorities, to enter
into force. In January 2016, BiH fulfilled another EU requirement, with the adoption of a coordination
mechanism aimed at ensuring the different levels of government work jointly on EU matters. The next step
came on 15 February, when BiH formally applied for EU membership.
Republika Srpska (RS), one of the two autonomous BiH entities, criticised the coordination mechanism for
having been adopted without its consent. The EU membership application also drew mixed reactions around
the country as well as questions whether it 'fits BiH reality', given the multiple unresolved domestic issues.
Future pending tasks include making the adopted EU coordination mechanism functional, advancing the
Reform Agenda, adapting the trade part of the SAA and undertaking constitutional reform to create a
functional state, an issue that is both crucial for EU integration and a source of internal division. An example
of the constitutional challenges is RS's recently planned controversial referendum on cutting ties with the
state-level judiciary and the Constitutional Court. The initiative was opposed by the EU and Serbia and is
currently 'on hold', but it is a signal that 20 years after Dayton, break-up can still not be excluded.
European Commission 2015 report
The 2015 report has been welcomed at EU level and in BiH as the 'best so far', a sign that the country is 'back
on the reform track'. However, some analysts claim that a closer read shows 'little justification' for the
positive tone, few cases of limited progress and a need for political will to address country-wide reforms.
The report commends the SAA's entry into force, the initial implementation of the Reform Agenda and BiH's
active regional role. The new public procurement law and the new justice reform strategy are seen as
positive steps, but judicial independence remains under threat and legislation is generally not aligned with
the EU acquis. Remaining shortcomings in the judiciary are to be addressed within the EU-established
Structured Dialogue on Justice. The report deplores in particular worsened conditions on media freedom,
and an environment 'not conducive' to full freedom of expression. Human rights, especially antidiscrimination
and protection of minorities, as well as the large and inefficient public administration, are
other sore issues. Corruption remains widespread, despite the new anti-corruption strategy (2015-2019).
The complex institutional setup and the Constitution, considered discriminatory for the Sejdić-Finci case, are
seen as major setbacks that obstruct efficient cooperation between all levels of government. BiH is also
urged to further align its foreign policy with that of the EU. Despite some reported improvement, the
economic situation is seen as difficult, with high youth unemployment and deteriorated public finances.
In 2015, the EP commemorated Srebrenica and marked the 20th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement with
resolutions supporting BiH's European future. The motion for a resolution on the Commission's report
(rapporteur: Cristian Dan Preda, EPP, Romania) welcomes the new Reform Agenda and recalls that implementing
it, updating the SAA and setting up an effective coordination mechanism on EU matters is crucial given the recent
EU membership application. It also calls for constitutional and political reforms to build a fully functional state and
urges the country's leaders to abstain from divisive rhetoric, detrimental for BiH itself and for EU integration.
