The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina were urged to make faster progress on the country’s EU integration at a key annual meeting in Sarajevo this week.
 
Representatives of the European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) met on 25 and 26 September 2014 in Sarajevo for the 7th Interim Committee. This committee, composed of high-ranking officials from both sides, meets once a year and reviews the overall relations between the EU and BiH. It is called “Interim Committee” as the Stabilisation and Association Agreement still has not entered into force. The meeting was chaired by Ms Nevenka Savić (Director of the BiH Directorate of European Integration) and co-chaired by Mr Jean-Eric Paquet, Director for Western Balkans in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement.
 
The delegation of BiH reported on the work done in the approximation process during the last 15 months. While noting the limited progress achieved, the EU delegation called on the BiH authorities to overcome the overall stalemate in the European Integration process. It emphasised in particular the need to establish urgently an effective and efficient coordination mechanism between the authorities in BiH on EU matters. This is necessary not only for successful and efficient interaction with the EU, but also for the implementation of the next phase of major EU funding for BiH under the Pre-Accession Instrument (IPA II).
 
The EU delegation also underlined the importance of the “Compact for Jobs and Growth” which – on the basis of wide consultations in BiH during 2014 – addresses serious structural economic problems in the country.  The EU delegation expressed its expectation that following the October elections the proposed reforms would be urgently launched at the relevant levels of government in BiH.
 
EU-BiH Joint Statement following the 7th Interim Committee meeting in Sarajevo available at: http://archive.europa.ba/News.aspx?newsid=7317&lang=EN