Working Group of the Council of the European Union for the Western Balkans (COWEB) visiting BiH, meetings in Sarajevo and Banja Luka

(Patria) - Representatives of EU member states within the Working Group for the Western Balkan region (COWEB) of the Council of the European Union will visit Bosnia and Herzegovina from April 1 to 3, 2025, accompanied by representatives of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission's Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), as well as the General Secretariat of the Council.

The visit is an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into Bosnia and Herzegovina's European path and the situation in the country, including the current political and constitutional crisis. It will also provide information for the formulation of the EU's foreign and security policy, ahead of upcoming important Council meetings on the Western Balkans. During the visit, the COWEB delegation will meet in Sarajevo and Banja Luka with representatives of domestic institutions, political party leaders, and civil society representatives, as well as EUFOR and representatives of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The visit takes place one year after the European Council gave the green light for the opening of accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and emphasizes the continued commitment of the EU and its member states to support Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to membership, with an emphasis on ensuring long-term stability and progress. Steps forward on the European path and reforms necessary for progress remain the best guarantee of prosperity and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

COWEB is a preparatory body of the Council of the European Union responsible for issues related to the EU's relations with the Western Balkans. COWEB consists of representatives of the ministries or departments of EU member states responsible for European affairs. The working group deals with issues in the sphere of political and economic development and the Stabilization and Association Process (SAP). COWEB last visited BiH in 2023.