EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a three-day visit on September 22. She met with the Bosniak member of the Presidency, Denis Beqirović, while the Serb member Željka Cvijanović and the Croat member Željko Komšić did not attend.
During her visit, Kos will also meet with other government officials and speak before the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She plans to engage with civil society organizations, media representatives, local communities, women leaders in business, and youth from across the country.
According to the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the visit aims to support the country on its path toward EU membership. Kos will encourage authorities to take all necessary steps for the first intergovernmental conference and emphasize the importance of seizing opportunities provided by the Western Balkans Growth Plan.
Bosnia and Herzegovina received the green light for full EU accession negotiations in March of last year, but Brussels has warned that talks will commence only once the country meets a series of conditions.
These conditions include:
- Aligning foreign policy with the EU, including sanctions against Russia over the invasion of Ukraine—a move opposed by representatives of the Serb entity, Republika Srpska.
- Preventing ethnic and territorial discrimination in the selection of Presidency members.
- Reforming the Criminal Court and Constitutional Court.
Brussels has stressed that without a clear reform plan and its implementation, Bosnia will not receive EU funds or favorable loans.
The first installment of €108 million from approximately €1 billion planned under the Western Balkans Growth Plan was redirected last summer to other countries. Similar funding may be withheld in October if Bosnia fails to make progress, as the European Commission prioritizes advancing countries over those that lag behind.
