BRUSSELS. Recognize the status of a candidate country for EU membership in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The European Commission’s proposal is one of deafening ones, because on the one hand it adds a piece to the enlargement process and encompasses even more the area of the Balkans and the former Yugoslavia. But above all because it does not seem that Sarajevo has all the credentials to deserve this endorsement. The community executive puts everything in the hands of the Council. The Twenty-Seven will decide, at the December leaders’ summit, whether or not to support this proposal for a green light, but in the meantime the report on the state of the art in Bosnia and Herzegovina attached to the enlargement package and to the request for granting the status is not shines for progress. On the contrary, there is no lack of critical issues.
On the justice front, Bosnia and Herzegovina “is lagging behind on the reform, with no progress in strengthening the sector”. The third power of the state therefore offers no guarantees. “Due to the lack of a genuine political commitment to the rule of law and the path of the EU, the overall integrity of the judiciary has continued to deteriorate.” It should be noted that the EU has an open dispute with Poland for anti-judicial policies, and another with Hungary for failure to respect the rule of law.
As for safety, the situation raises many question marks. Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Commission writes in its report, “has made no progress in the fight against organized crime and criminal organizations operating in the country”. Not only. The country has a strategy for combating drug trade, but the adoption of the corresponding action plan “is still pending”. Furthermore, the national authorities are asked to “continue their efforts in the fight against terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism”, as well as “urgently adopt a new law on anti-money laundering and terrorist financing” in line with the legal framework of the ‘European Union.
On competition, market liberalization, consumer protection and intellectual property there are “limited or no progress”, while “limited” are the steps forward on the green agenda, which is increasingly central and priority in the action of the EU and its states members. “No evident progress”, then, in tax matters and, consequently, in the fight against tax evasion and avoidance. But looking ahead, the EU risks giving European money to a country that will not know how to spend it. “As far as regional policy and coordination of structural instruments are concerned, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Serbia have not made progress.” The Structural Funds represent one of the largest expenditure items in the Union, after those for the common agricultural policy. There is talk of billions of euros. Faced with this business card, the EU still wants to speed up the accession process.
The report does not seem to justify this go-ahead, but the EU decides to grant it on the basis of intentions and promises. “The granting of candidate status is an offer from Europe to Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” emphasizes Commissioner for Enlargement, Oliver Varhely. “It is an offer not for the political class, but for the country,” he adds, with statements confirming the limits of reform actions left to the new government and the new parliament after the elections on 2 October.
“What needs to be done is clear, and is contained in the report,” continues the commissioner, whose offer is linked to Russian military maneuvers in Ukraine and its geopolitical consequences. The EU immediately recognized candidate status in Ukraine and Moldova, and promised it to Georgia. Not giving anything to Sarajevo, which applied for membership in February 2016, risks creating a sense of internal frustration that is difficult to manage. A passage of the communication to the states notes that Bosnia and Herzegovina is among the “aligned to EU restrictive measures in response to Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine”. Then there is the ethnic question. The Commission is aware that the Serbian community needs a concession. In Brussels, it is no mystery that parties based in the Republika Srpska entity “blocked legislative and executive institutions at the state level until spring 2022, leading to an almost complete blockade of reforms during that period.” Something must be offered in exchange for accelerating the reform process, and giving the same recognized perspectives to others.