Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs will have on their agenda this afternoon the Agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The rapporteur is Jaroslav Bžoch from the Patriots for Europe Group.
The draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency in Bosnia and Herzegovina states that on 14 October 2025, the Commission informed the rapporteurs about the progress made in the negotiations on a status agreement between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina were also present at the meeting. A meeting with the Frontex Fundamental Rights Officer (‘FRO’) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (‘EDPS’) is also scheduled for 6 November 2025. The agreement was signed on 11 June 2025 in Sarajevo.
During the peak of the migration and refugee crisis in 2015, hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and migrants arrived in the European Union via the Western Balkans. The migratory pressure on the Western Balkan routes was significant in the following years, putting pressure on the EU’s external borders. Therefore, further efforts are needed to control migration flows in a lawful manner, in line with international and European law.
The rapporteur considers that the conclusion of formal, legally binding agreements in the framework of cooperation with third countries is crucial to ensure transparency, public oversight and democratic control over such cooperation.
Structured and sustainable cooperation with third countries, in particular the Western Balkans, is an integral part of the European area of stability and security. Therefore, strengthening cooperation in the field of migration and border management with Bosnia and Herzegovina is strategically important for alleviating the pressure on Croatia’s borders with neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina and thus preventing illegal crossings of the EU’s external borders, as well as for combating cross-border crime. Close cooperation with partners from the Western Balkans is therefore essential not only for managing migration flows to the EU, reducing irregular arrivals and improving the efficiency of return operations, but also for combating migrant smuggling and mitigating the risks associated with organised crime.
Both the European Border and Coast Guard Agency and Bosnia and Herzegovina are required to comply with the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 and to ensure its full respect, including fundamental rights. During the consent procedure in the European Parliament, the explanations provided by the Commission, the relevant authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the FRO and the EDPS on the importance of this status agreement proved satisfactory. The status agreement and the presence of European Border and Coast Guard Agency officers on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina will contribute to combating irregular migration to the EU and improving the overall security situation, while fully safeguarding fundamental rights in border control processes.
Given the significant number of people transiting through Bosnia and Herzegovina to reach the EU, this agreement will strengthen support to the Western Balkans partners in managing migration flows more effectively and fully in line with our European standards.
In conclusion, the rapporteur considers that the proposed status agreement is in line with the model status agreement as envisaged in the Commission communication on the content and provisions to be included in the final agreement.
As this agreement enters its implementation phase, the European Parliament requests that the European Border and Coast Guard Agency immediately inform the European Parliament about the activities carried out in the framework of the implementation of the Status Agreement and reminds the Agency of its obligation to include in its annual reports an assessment of cooperation with third countries.
The status agreements on operational activities carried out by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, which have already been concluded with Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania and Serbia, have proven that close cooperation with the Western Balkans brings positive results.
In light of the above, the rapporteur recommends that Parliament support the draft text of the Council’s decision.
