SARAJEVO, November 4 (FENA) – Elvira Habota, Director of the Directorate for European Integration, stated in an interview with FENA that this year’s European Commission report provides an objective overview and assessment of what has been done in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the EU accession process, along with specific guidelines for further work.
She stated that the Commission recognized that BiH had achieved certain results by March, but it was also noted that subsequent reforms had stalled.
Habota said that BiH has made good progress in the area of foreign security and defense policy, while we have achieved some progress in public procurement, the fight against corruption, migration management, the fight against organized crime, and public administration reforms.
”Limited progress has been made in the functioning of the judiciary, as well as in the economic criteria sector and agriculture and rural development. However, there has been no progress in the areas of fundamental rights, particularly regarding freedom of speech and the protection of journalists, as well as in several sectoral policies. I primarily mean energy, transport, competition, the free movement of goods, consumer protection, etc.,” said Habota.
She added that a key decision of this year’s report is that BiH authorities need to decisively continue with reforms in line with European standards and rules to be in a position for the European Commission to propose a negotiation framework, with the Council of the European Union deciding on its adoption.
Habota reminded that the Council of the European Union specified in its recommendations as early as March the remaining tasks that need to be fulfilled, noting that “these are the same tasks found in this year’s report and the recommendations given during the granting of candidate status.”
What is also expected from BiH is the adoption of a border management strategy, the appointment of a chief negotiator and a negotiating team, as well as the preparation of a state plan for adopting the “acquis” and the appointment of a state coordinator for IPA, Habota noted.
She added that from March until the release of the new report, some work has been done, and several important documents have been adopted.
“However, while we can see that the results are achievable, I must say that we need to do much more in the process itself, and what is very important at this moment is that we need to do it much faster,” Habota said.
The Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, initiated at the last session the acceleration of activities to establish the office of the chief negotiator for BiH in the process of forming the negotiating structure for explanatory meetings on the EU legal acquis.
She also stated that they are working on an improved version of the Program for Integrating BiH into the EU, based on comments received a few months ago from the European Commission on the first working version of the Integration Program.
When asked how important it is for the chief negotiator and negotiating team to be appointed as soon as possible, she responded that this is a very important issue for the further process and progress in the EU accession process, especially for the adoption of the negotiation framework.
She also emphasized that other equally important issues should not be forgotten or neglected, including the adoption of the eight steps from the European Commission’s recommendations, which involve the laws she mentioned, such as the law on courts, the law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council, the law on personal data protection, and the law on border control.
