Southern Interconnection Far from Realization: Work by the end of 2027 increasingly unrealistic

(Patria) - Today marks the expiry of the 30-day deadline for signing the contract between the Government of the Federation of BiH and the American company AAFS, but the key steps necessary for the realization of the Southern Interconnection project have still not been completed.

The contract should provide answers to numerous unresolved issues, including how to obtain urban planning permits. However, there is still no answer to the question of how the issue of state property will be resolved.

According to information obtained by the Patria News Agency, the competent government commission for expert assessment in the process of issuing urban planning consent for the "Southern Interconnection BiH–Croatia" gas pipeline has not yet submitted the necessary expert documentation to the Parliament of the Federation of BiH.

At the same time, the agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia has not been ratified, which is considered one of the key prerequisites for continuing activities on the project.

Also, according to available information, requests for changes to the relevant documentation, which would exclude BH-Gas from the project and include AAFS as the new entity responsible for activities, have not yet been submitted to the competent institutions.

Due to all of the above, it remains uncertain whether the contract will be signed within the foreseen deadline, as well as whether the entire process will require a new postponement and additional political and administrative procedures.

When all these elements are taken into account, including the fact that legal provisions are not being respected and basic administrative procedures have not been completed, it is clear that the work cannot even theoretically be completed by the end of 2027, as previously planned.