The EU Delegation/EU Special Representative in BiH issued the statement below on Monday.
Statement by the EU Delegation/EUSR in BiH following the meeting with the BiH Presidency
03.02.2020.
Head of the EU Delegation to BiH and EU Special Representative, Ambassador Johann Sattler and EU Heads of Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina met with members of the BiH Presidency today to discuss efforts on how to use the political momentum to move the country forward on its EU accession path, in light of the 14 key priorities from the Commission Opinion on BiH’s EU membership application.
The first key priority from the Opinion identifies the need to ensure elections are conducted in line with European standards. We expect to see the proper holding of local elections this year, Mostar included, as well as improvements to the democratic processes and electoral standards.
The EU continues to underline that Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to see tangible economic reforms, making the BiH economy fit for Europe. We stand ready to support BiH authorities on all reforms they undertake to advance the country’s modernisation and its ability to take on the obligations of EU membership.
Ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit in Zagreb in May 2020, BiH’s leadership should seize the opportunity to demonstrate its readiness to improve the lives of citizens and undertake genuine efforts to address reconciliation and overcome the legacy of the past, as an inevitable element of the EU accession process. Success in this endeavour is important both for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Europe as a whole.
