Ursula von der Leyen: European Commission to recommend opening EU-BiH accession negotiations today

(Patria) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the institution will recommend opening accession negotiations between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina today.

During her speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament, she assessed that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made more progress since receiving candidate status than in over a decade.

- Of course, more progress is needed to join our Union. But the country shows that it can meet the membership criteria and the aspirations of its citizens to be part of our family. That is why we will recommend today (12 March) to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina - stated von der Leyen.

The formal recommendation will be announced by the European Commission later this afternoon after the College meeting.

The report to be published, according to the European Commission President, is a "factual analysis of the latest developments" and a clear picture of the situation in the country.

She mentioned that Bosnia and Herzegovina is now fully aligned with the EU's foreign and security policy, which, according to von der Leyen, is "crucial in these times of geopolitical turmoil," reports RSE.
She noted the adoption of important laws, as well as improvements in migration flow management, the consent of the Ministry of Justice to include judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in domestic criminal records, and the start of work of the Peacebuilding Steering Board.

The European Commission report and the recommendation in the document will be subject to discussion at the level of EU heads of state and government, who make the final decision on opening membership negotiations.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will be on the agenda at the upcoming summit scheduled for 21 and 22 March in Brussels.

BiH has held candidate status for full membership since December 2022.

A year later, in December 2023, EU leaders expressed readiness to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and called on the Commission to publish a report in March on the degree of fulfillment of key criteria, which will serve for the decision of EU leaders.