(Click here to open the 2007 Progress Report in English)

(Click here to open the European Partnership in English)

On 6 November 2007, Mr. Jan Truszczynski, Deputy Director of DG Enlargement, held a press conference following the handover of the 2007 Progress Report to Dr. Nikola Spiric, President of the BiH Council of Ministers.

He explained that the EC adopted the Annual Strategy for Enlargement and the Country Reports for all enlargement countries, including Draft documents on Accession and European Partnerships. The Enlargement Strategy includes the Member States’ renewed consensus on enlargement, based on the “3 C”:

• Commitment
• Conditionality
• Communication

Consistent implementation of the renewed Strategy is more important than ever.

The document notes that many achievements in Western Balkan countries need to be consolidated and major challenges need to be decisively addressed. A number of Western Balkan countries have slowed down and BiH is no exception. It must therefore focus on the core issues. The reform priorities are:

• State-building
• Better governance
• Socio-economic reforms

The European Commission will further support the reform process and work on ensuring public support for the European perspective of the Western Balkan countries.

The BiH Progress Report looks at what has been achieved and gives a factual presentation based on data gathered from numerous sources (including Member States, international organisations, NGOs, etc.). It looks at what has been completed, not at plans, and is an objective image of progress since the last assessment. It also notes what needs more attention, political focus or will.

BiH does have several bright points:

• Co-operation with the ICTY has progressed to a satisfactory level
• SAA Negotiations were managed in a professional way
• Constructive participation in regional co-operation
• Rapid expansion of the economy
• Overall, macro-economic stability has been maintained

On European Standards (the approximation of BiH laws and policies with EU legislation) there has been progress in anti-trust policy, education, transport, visa policy and asylum policy.

Issues requiring stronger action include:

• Overall underperformance on key priorities of the European partnership.
• Significant progress regarding police reform must be achieved.
• Further progress in Public Broadcasting and Public Administration Reform is required.
• Although co-operation with the ICTY is satisfactory, full co-operation has yet to be achieved.

The reform process has slowed down, perhaps due to intensified nationalistic rhetoric, the tense political climate and the lack of co-operation between the State and entity levels.

Democratic institutions are still ineffective and BiH has not yet managed to take full responsibility for governance. It has been clear for a number of years that BiH needs constitutional reform to achieve an affordable government. There has been no progress on this front.

BiH needs to build a single economic space for the benefit of all its citizens, yet there is a persistent lack of consensus on key economic policies. Areas where more must be done on European Standards include:

• Free movement of goods
• Free movement of people
• Free provision of services
• Support to Small and Medium Enterprises
• Labour Market and Employment Policy
• Social Policy
• Energy
• Environmental Protection
• Statistics.

More administrative efficiency and capacity is needed in the SAA context in:

• Trade policy
• Customs
• Intellectual property
• Public Procurement

Mr. Truszczynski added that he had shared his personal experience with Mr. Spiric, where the “cold shower” effect of the 98-99 report for his own country, Poland, was helpful because the Commission’s opinion stated what needed to be done to progress quicker and most people drew the necessary conclusions and produced the necessary drive and focus.