“Authorities and political parties at all levels of authority have committed to a series of reforms and other undertakings in order to move the whole country closer to the European Union. This momentum needs to be not only maintained, but intensified”, Ambassador Lars-Gunnar Wigemark said today at the Parliamentary Forum for EU integration in Sarajevo.

The Parliamentary Forum for EU integration gathers Committees for European integration of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entity parliaments and Brcko District, and serves as a platform for dialogue among legislators in BiH on EU-related requirements.

Addressing at the opening of the Forum, Ambassador Wigemark said:

“Provided there is progress on certain outstanding issues, Bosnia and Herzegovina should be in a position to submit a credible EU membership application in the near future. The European Union Foreign Affairs Council outlined the necessary steps to achieve this objective, in December last year. First of all, we in the European Union would like to see meaningful progress in the implementation of the Reform Agenda.  Secondly, there needs to be progress on trade adaptation in respect of the Stabilization and Association Agreement, and thirdly, a functioning co-ordination on positions that concern the EU needs to be agreed.

“BiH needs to complete the adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement taking into account the accession of Croatia to EU. Ensuring an efficient co-ordination on all EU-relevant issues is also essential. This is needed to have a balanced, objective decision-making on all matters concerning the integration process. It needs to be effective and functional.”

Ambassador Wigemark highlighted the critical role of parliaments in aligning the national legislation with that of the EU acquis, and showed full support for the work of the Parliamentary Forum, a body joining the parliaments in BiH in the consensus for EU integration.