Bosnia's accession to the European Union may take time. Jean-Noël Barrot, French Minister Delegate for Europe, indicated this Wednesday that France will be “particularly” vigilant to ensure that Bosnia-Herzegovina, a country of 3.5 million inhabitants, achieves each of the objectives set to adopt a framework for negotiations with a view to its accession to the European Union.
On March 21, the leaders of the member countries gave the green light to the opening of negotiations with Sarajevo. But these will only begin once this Balkan country has carried out a certain number of reforms. The opening of negotiations is a step in a process which generally takes many years before accession.
Objectives “not yet completely fulfilled”
Fourteen points were identified last October. “Our services told us that the account was perhaps not completely filled for the opening of negotiations to take place,” explained Jean-Noël Barrot during a Senate hearing.
The Commission's analysis, presented a few days before the European Council of March 21 and 22, showed that "essentially, the fourteen points had been fulfilled", he admitted.
But “for our part, we consider that work remains to be done to preserve an environment favorable to civil society, the media, freedom of expression, the improvement of the functioning of the judicial system and the fight against corruption and organized crime,” detailed the minister.
Candidate status obtained in 2022
“And we will be particularly vigilant to ensure that all these stages are completed before the next stage of the accession process, which is the convening of an intergovernmental conference which will unanimously adopt the negotiation framework,” insisted Jean- Noel Barrot. “It is essential to maintain the credibility, the requirement of the accession process,” he added.
Bosnia-Herzegovina obtained candidate status in 2022 after the favorable opinion of the Commission, which had identified 14 “essential priorities” for reforms.
These consist in particular of improving the functioning of central institutions, strengthening the rule of law and fundamental rights, as well as the fight against corruption and organized crime, in one of the poorest countries in Europe.