The Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Delegation of the European Parliament for relations with BiH and Kosovo, Željana Zovko, welcomed the adoption of the BiH Progress Report, stressing that the past year was the most successful in terms of European integration for BiH since the application for membership in the European Union was submitted in 2016.
“The successfully held elections in October and the formation of the Council of Ministers and the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in record time sent a clear signal to Brussels that the country is ready to take responsibility and deliver tangible results on the European road. Progress is clearly visible and therefore the granting of candidate status is an added incentive for Bosnia and Herzegovina for the implementation of constitutional and electoral reforms,” Zovko pointed out.
She expressed her satisfaction that the final text included a large number of amendments that she attached to the report, especially those concerning the concept of constituent nations, respect for the country’s constitutional architecture and the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement, and the need to implement the judgments of domestic and foreign courts.
“It is extremely important for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European path to resolve the anomaly of the Election Law, due to which Croats have not been able to elect their representative to the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina for years. Guaranteed rights and equality of all constituent nations as well as other citizens are key to the country’s progress in European integration.” , Zovko pointed out and added that in her amendments she also called for respect for the rights of all communities to use and preserve their own mother tongue, preservation of cultural heritage and customs, equal representation in institutions and the media space, and the right to education in their own language.
In the context of the complex geopolitical situation in the world, Zovko also welcomed last year’s extension of the EUFOR Altea operation, which still plays a key role in ensuring the stability and security of BiH, and called on the European Commission, the EEAS, the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the BiH authorities to intensify efforts in promote the benefits of closer integration and invest in communication campaigns to combat foreign influence, hybrid threats and malign narratives.
The Committee for Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament adopted today the annual report on the progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina. With this report, the European Parliament will give its recommendations for the steps that Bosnia and Herzegovina should take with the aim of progressing in the process of accession to European integration.
The report comes after the historic decision last December when the country was granted candidate status with a clear expectation of progress in the reform process in accordance with the 14 key priorities of the European Commission and the conclusions of the European Council from June 2022, the EPP reported.
