Seven Ambassadors Warn BiH Authorities: You Risk Losing 100 Million Euros, Urgently Finalize Reform Agenda

(Patria) - Bosnia and Herzegovina risks losing 100 million euros to other regional partners if political actors in BiH do not urgently finalize the reform agenda.

This was stated by the ambassadors of the member states of the informal group within the Council of the EU "Friends of the Western Balkans", which includes Austria, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

"The reform agenda was recently adopted by a Council of Ministers decision, which is encouraging. Funds from the EU Growth Plan, totaling one billion euros for BiH, are intended to improve infrastructure in the country. All citizens will benefit from this strong commitment from the EU.

Since 2023, our countries have sent a clear message: the future of BiH is within the EU; the reunification of the European family must be a priority, especially in times of geopolitical turmoil.

Thanks to these messages and our joint commitment, we have positioned ourselves among the leaders in supporting BiH on its path to EU membership. Significant progress has been made in this area since then.

You all know the most important development: in March 2024, the EU decided to open accession negotiations with BiH. Now it is crucial to maintain this momentum – there is no time to lose. This applies not only to the enlargement process but also to the Western Balkans Growth Plan.

The Plan aims to encourage Western Balkan partners to implement key reforms on the path to EU membership and to promote gradual integration within the region and with the EU in areas such as finance, transport, digital connectivity, and the EU single market – benefits that every citizen will feel.

All of this is also enabled by increased financial assistance, which for BiH alone amounts to over one billion euros," they stated in the announcement.

And to receive this money, Western Balkan partners must agree on a Reform Agenda with the European Commission, and the idea is simple – more funds to support reforms that will benefit citizens and facilitate integration into the EU.

In the case of BiH, these reforms can have an unprecedented transformative effect: an improved business environment with greater integration into the EU single market can be a turning point and accelerate the alignment of BiH's economic and social indicators with those of EU member states.

Simply put – more prosperity, more investment, and higher salaries. So far, all other Western Balkan partners have already adopted their reform agendas.

An appeal has been made to all political leaders in BiH to urgently finalize the adoption of the country's reform agenda, so that BiH can fully utilize this unique opportunity.

The adopted reform agenda opens the possibility for over one billion euros in investments after the reforms are implemented, and these funds will be available to BiH until the end of 2027.

"Therefore, we welcome the unanimous political agreement reached at the Council of Ministers session last Friday: it is a big step towards submitting the finalized reform agenda and an excellent sign of progress on the country's European path, which is required and supported by a large majority of BiH citizens in both entities," the ambassadors emphasize.

A few days ago, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos and leaders of six Western Balkan partners gathered in Skopje for a successful high-level meeting focused on the Growth Plan.

As Commissioner Kos reminded, in just 20 months, the EU and the Western Balkans have moved from ideas to results.

In a fragmented world, enlargement – including the Growth Plan, must remain a priority for the EU and its member states, but also for the Western Balkans.

Seizing this opportunity is crucial; only in this way will ordinary citizens and businesses be able to start enjoying some of the benefits of full EU membership even before BiH's formal accession.

Only then will BiH, the whole of BiH, be able to keep pace with other Western Balkan partners.

Therefore, we appeal for the finalized reform agenda to be submitted to the European Commission in the coming hours, to prevent BiH from losing 100 million euros from its share, which would otherwise be redistributed to other partners in the region.

BiH has enormous potential – potential that has not been fully utilized so far. Therefore, we call on all political actors to strive for this common and non-partisan goal, in the interest of the constituent peoples and all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina," state the ambassadors of the member countries of the "Friends of the Western Balkans" group, according to a statement from the Greek Embassy in BiH.

Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Slovakia, and Slovenia established the informal group "Friends of the Western Balkans" within the Council of the European Union in 2023, with the aim of supporting and promoting the full membership of Western Balkan partners, including BiH, in the European Union.