The deadline for harmonizing the text of the Draft Reform Agenda has expired today. It was announced on July 22 by the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto. After numerous concessions and opportunities provided by the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina has not moved much on its European path. How much has been done and will it lose the planned European money from the Growth Plan again?
BORJANA KRIŠTO, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH (July 22, 2025)
“It is up to us at this point, that is, all ministries, all levels of government, to be up-to-date so that we can have an agreed Draft Reform Agenda by August 11. August 11 is the deadline we gave ourselves.”
We did not find out how up-to-date the Council of Ministers of BiH was by the set deadline. However, according to information from the Directorate for Economic Planning of BiH and the Team for Developing the Growth Plan, certain activities are taking place.
ZORAN ZELJKO, Director of the Directorate for Economic Planning and Coordinator of the Growth Plan Team
“Today, the 45-day deadline from the Conclusion of the Council of Ministers expires, in which the Council of Ministers itself obliged ministries and other administrative bodies at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina to address the uncoordinated comments from the text of the Reform Agenda. At this moment, intensive activities are underway in the institutions of the Council of Ministers to implement that Conclusion.”
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Elmedin Konaković, confirmed that work is being done on the Reform Agenda.
ELMEDIN KONAKOVIĆ, Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH
“I see that work is being done on it, but today we received some assurances in our talks that we still have a few days to send that document. I hope that Chairwoman Krišto and HDZ will understand. I join the call of colleague Ćudić that they once again have a really big responsibility with their role as key actors in the reshuffle of the government.”
Due to the previous delay and unsuccessful harmonization of the text of the Reform Agenda, Bosnia and Herzegovina lost 108.5 million euros of planned European money from the Growth Plan. The European Commission is clear that if they do not receive a finalized version of the Reform Agenda by September 30, they will reduce Bosnia and Herzegovina’s funds by another 10 percent.
SVETLANA CENIĆ, economic analyst
“There is no hope, the Commission warned on July 19, we had news that funds would be further reduced, has anyone done anything… now we have an excuse: it is August, parliaments are not in session, it is a break in work. Obviously, no one is interested in that, they are not interested, it is all something in their heads, if only some money could arrive now and immediately and be distributed.”
Institutional blockades further complicate the process and any progress towards the European Union. By missing out on the opportunities offered by the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina is losing a lot…
FARIS KOČAN, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ljubljana
“It seems as if the political elite in BiH is concerned with itself and not with the state and state subsystems, so I don’t see any potential in that sense. It is losing money related to infrastructure, digitalization of society, reforms related to digitalization of public administration, it is losing money related to social funds, to people’s competencies and the workforce.”
The Growth Plan for the Western Balkans is a financial package of the European Union worth six billion euros, which aims to double economic growth in these countries over the next ten years. It is questionable what the goal of the domestic authorities is if they are missing opportunities and not respecting the deadlines provided by the European Union, BHRT writes.
