Strasbourg: 8th EU-BiH Parliamentary Committee on Stabilization and Association Meeting Begins

(Patria) - The first part of the 8th meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Stabilization and Association between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina (SAPC) was held today in Strasbourg.

Co-chair of the SAPC Davor Stier, in his opening address, welcomed the adoption of the Reform Agenda in BiH and emphasized the importance of discussing the planned topics of this meeting related to amendments to the Election Law, the financial stability of public broadcasters, and the implementation of new rules at border crossings between BiH and the EU.

Co-chair of the SAPC Zdenko Ćosić agreed with Stier, but in his overview of activities related to the integration process and relations between the EU and BiH between the two meetings, he emphasized the importance of strengthening trust and flexibility in the integration process, as well as in institutional relations in general.

Director of the Directorate for European Integration, Elvira Habota, referred in her presentation to the latest European Commission report on BiH and the fact that, after some progress, a standstill was noted this time.

Director of the Directorate for Economic Planning of BiH, Zoran Zeljko, presented the preparations for developing a plan and methodology for the implementation of the adopted Reform Agenda.

Head of the European Commission's Unit for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Barbara Jesus Gimeno, in her presentation, addressed the concrete obstacles and missing steps for the adoption of the Negotiating Framework and the organization of the first intergovernmental conference.

Deputy Head of the Western Balkans Unit of the European External Action Service, Emanuele Giaufret, in an online address from Brussels, welcomed, as he said, the return to constitutionality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the readiness of the new government in Republika Srpska to renew relations with EU institutions.

Giaufret also called for the swift adoption of the remaining reform laws and the appointment of a chief negotiator in order to open membership negotiations.

Following this, a dynamic discussion continued between the members of the SAPC, i.e., members of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH and the European Parliament, on specific issues of current relations between the EU and BiH, which will continue tomorrow during the second part of the meeting.

Upon completion of the second day of the meeting, the adoption of the Joint Statement by the Co-chairs of the SAPC is also scheduled.