Zvizdić: Political disagreements must not block responses to the Questionnaire; Hahn: I expect a harmonised position

European Union (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn today officially handed over the European Commission (EC) Questionnaire to the Bosnian authorities, and the Questionnaire was received by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Denis Zvizdić.

The Questionnaire consists of 3,242 questions, and the answers will help assess whether we can become a potential candidate for membership in the European Union.

Zvizdić said that the questionnaire is a large book of questions and looks quite serious.

- In any case, receiving the questionnaire represents one of the most significant dates in the so-far part of the European integration process that has lasted 16 years. There are no additional conditions in the questionnaire, as was speculated in recent days. I want to say that we will work very responsibly and persistently on all projects related to European integration.

In its institutional and professional capacity, BiH will be able to adequately, professionally and timely respond to the questions. My concern is related to the numerous political disputes we have witnessed recently, and I hope that policies of blockade and conditionality will not be tied to BiH's European path nor slow down institutions in preparing the responses.

The country's institutions will answer the questionnaire. The coordination mechanism will be only an instrument through which we will model the answers in a way that we speak with one voice towards the EU – said Zvizdić.

Hahn stated that today we have a small celebration with the delivery of this questionnaire.

- The entire process can bring stability to BiH. The next step is a comparison of the state of the country in relation to what EU member states hope for. This is not something done to satisfy EU services and bodies, but a process that brings well-being and benefits to the citizens of your country – said Hahn.

He further added that „the EU integration process brings with it stability, security and peace, and increases the well-being of citizens, the inflow of their money“.

- Today's move also brings better prospects without the population having to migrate to other countries, brings new jobs and very concrete benefits for the citizens of BiH. Based on the experience of other countries, we have a proven process that one of the steps for the better is also the initiation of a larger number of foreign investments, because companies feel safer and believe in its European perspective - they want to invest more in BiH – said Hahn.

He also stated that he expects harmonised answers from the BiH authorities and hopes for further progress.

- This is a process that did not come out of the blue, because the integration process dates back before receiving the Questionnaire - concluded Hahn.