European Commission for the start of negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, but much still needs to be done

(Patria) - The European Commission will recommend to the European Council that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted the next phase of integration into the European Union.

As Politicki.ba has learned, the commissioners will comment tomorrow on the already agreed proposal to grant our country negotiator status.

"We recommend that accession negotiations for Bosnia and Herzegovina with the European Union be opened," the proposed decision states.

But, there is a catch.

"Much still needs to be done," the proposed decision states.

This "much still needs to be done" is clearly left for the negotiation process.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will be on the agenda of the March summit of the European Council.

This format of the EU's supreme body, composed of the heads of state or government of the 27 Union member states, will have this proposal from the European Commission before it.

It is expected that they will approve it and that BiH will formally step into a new - long and extremely detailed and arduous - negotiation process with the EU on its accession to this prestigious bloc.

BiH, by all accounts, will not receive a specific date for the start of negotiations, which some political leaders hoped for, either out of ignorance or due to their own political instincts. Simply put, the EU does not work that way.

Ukraine and Moldova were granted negotiator status last year. However, negotiations have not yet begun.

BiH was granted candidate status at the end of 2022. It was then explained that this was a "reward for citizens who want a European future".

Then, the preparation process for negotiator status was activated.

With the proposal of the European Commission's decision, this phase is also being passed.

With the start of negotiations, which could happen a year from the date of approval of this status, BiH will enter the process of adapting its system for accession to the Union. No country has completed this task without at least one (comprehensive) change to its constitution.