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Sarajevo (Fena) – The path of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards the European Union has been marked by more than two decades of key political decisions, from the launch of the Stabilisation and Association Process in 1999 to the decision of the European Council in March 2024 to open accession negotiations. The chronology shows steady progress, but experts warn that reforms, the rule of law and functional negotiating structures remain crucial conditions.
The integration process began in 1999 with the SAP and the confirmation of the European perspective for the countries of the region, as well as the launch of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. In 2000, the EU adopted a Road Map with 18 conditions for the Feasibility Study and introduced autonomous trade measures. This was followed by a Questionnaire with 346 questions (2003), the Feasibility Study and 16 priority reforms, and in 2005 negotiations were launched on the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, which was initialled in 2007 and signed in 2008.
BiH obtained a visa-free regime in 2010, and by 2015 the SAA entered into force, establishing a formal contractual relationship with the EU. A key moment was the submission of the application for membership in 2016, after which BiH submitted answers to the Questionnaire and in 2019 received the Opinion of the EC. Candidate status was granted in 2022, and in March 2024 a decision was made to open accession negotiations.
However, Fena’s interlocutors point out that formal steps are not sufficient without substantive changes. Professor Elmir Sadiković assesses that BiH’s progress is largely the result of external pressure and that the country is stagnating due to political blockades, especially after the Sejdić–Finci ruling. He believes that the policy of SNSD is anti-European and that the country will continue to waste time ahead of the elections, without real reforms, because the EU will not change its approach until BiH shows a clear will.
The Chair of the Joint Committee of PSBiH Zdenko Ćosić emphasizes the need to adopt the law on the Court of BiH, amendments to the law on the HJPC and the appointment of the chief negotiator. He says that there will be no progress without an internal breakthrough and that political divisions continue to hinder reform processes, despite the declarative support of all actors for the European path.
Transparency International BiH warns that the biggest delays persist in the areas of the rule of law, the judiciary, the fight against corruption and public administration – areas that make up the first negotiating cluster. Edo Kanlić points out that the adoption of key laws often remains under political influence, and the negotiating structures are still not functional, which could slow down the opening of chapters. (4.12.)