European Union wants to see Bosnia and Herzegovina progressing on the path towards the EU, but next steps are in the hands of BiH authorities, said the Director General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Christian Danielsson, who is currently in an official visit to BiH together with the Director Executive for Europe and Central Asia in the Europe External Action Service Thomas Mayr-Harting.
After yesterday’s meeting with the Head of EU Delegation to BIH Lars-Gunnar Wigemark and representatives of 14 leading political parties in BiH, whose readiness for EU integration was assessed by Danielsson and Mayr-Harting as encouraging, Danielsson said that political leaders know what has to be done so that the BiH application for membership in the EU would get a positive answer by July this year.
A message from Danielsson to political parties, their leaders and all institutions they represent is to act immediately, otherwise they can lose the provided opportunity which, he added, might cause a halt in the process of EU integration.
Danielsson reiterated that the EU integration process requires implementation of the Reform Agenda, publishing of the population census results, a functional coordination mechanism, and adjustment of the Stabilization and Association Agreement.
“Every day without agreement on coordination procedures is a lost day on the path towards membership in the EU,” Danielsson highlighted at the press conference in Sarajevo.
Mayr-Harting conveyed the message from the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini and the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn to the political leadership in BiH.
“When you commit to the implementation of reforms, then the EU will respond, providing that there is progress on the European path,” the message stated.
If the reforms are implemented, Mayr-Harting added, then the application of EU for membership in the EU will be further treated and processed.
(Source: klix.ba)