The current business environment in Bosnia and Herzegovina was at the top of the agenda at a lunch for the country’s business leaders. The event, hosted by  the Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bosnia and Herzegovina/EU Special Representative, Ambassador Peter Sorensen,  put the concerns of the managers of eleven leading BiH companies in the spotlight.

The most pressing issue facing the BiH economy, Croatian accession to the EU, was addressed. The Ambassador noted that BiH has not much time left to prepare for the very significant change next year, when its neighbour and very important trading partner will start implementing EU rules and regulations for the import of goods. “Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently at risk of losing a market of which it has been and still is an integral part. Unfortunately, Croatia’s accession to the EU is likely to interrupt BiH’s exports to that country, as BiH is not progressing fast enough to meet European standards for most of the animal-origin and plant-origin products,” Ambassador Sorensen commented. 

Other topics at the meeting included the EU’s assistance to small and large businesses in transfer of knowledge and new technologies, introduction of European quality standards, support to entrepreneurship and development of infrastructure.

General directors or managers of Modriča Oil Rafinery (Modriča), Skonto Prom (Prijedor), ASA Prevent Group (Sarajevo), Posao.ba (Sarajevo), Mljekara Livno (Livno), Meggle BiH (Bihać), Mira (Prijedor), Alma Ras (Olovo), Sanino (Derventa), Žitopromet (Bijeljina) and Bimal (Brčko) attended the working lunch held in the EU House in Sarajevo.