Accession to the European Union: Paris expects Bosnia to comply with fourteen goals

Bosnia’s entry into the European Union may take time. Jean-Noël Barrot, the French minister delegate for European affairs, said this Wednesday that France will be “particularly” vigilant to ensure that Bosnia and Herzegovina, a country of 3.5 million people, achieves each of the goals set for adoption of a framework for negotiations with a view to its accession to the European Union.

On March 21, the leaders of member countries gave the go-ahead for the opening of negotiations with Sarajevo. But this will only begin after this Balkan country has carried out a certain number of reforms. Initiating negotiations is a step in a process that usually takes many years before accession.

Goals “not yet fully achieved”

Fourteen points were identified in October last year. “Our services informed us that the account may not have been fully filled to begin negotiations,” Jean-Noël Barrault explained during a Senate hearing.

The Commission’s analysis, presented a few days before the European Council meeting on March 21 and 22, showed that “in essence, fourteen points have been implemented,” he admitted.

But “for our part, we believe that there is still work to be done to preserve an environment favorable to civil society, the media, freedom of expression, improve the functioning of the judicial system and fight corruption and organized crime,” the minister detailed.

Candidate status received in 2022.

“And we will be especially vigilant to ensure that all these stages are completed before the next stage of the accession process, namely the convening of an intergovernmental conference that will unanimously adopt the framework of the negotiations,” insisted Jean-Noël Barrault. “It is very important to maintain the trust necessary for the accession process,” he added.

Bosnia and Herzegovina received candidate status in 2022 following a positive opinion from the Commission, which identified 14 “core priorities” for reform.

These include improving the functioning of central institutions, strengthening the rule of law and fundamental rights, and combating corruption and organized crime in one of Europe’s poorest countries.