European Commission says Bosnia is ready for EU membership

The European Commission advises the governments of the 27 member states to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina the status of a candidate member. “Europe is changing and we need to seize this moment,” said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “The Western Balkans are part of our family and we need to make that very clear.”

Before the actual admission process for membership can begin, a country must meet a number of conditions. For example, democracy and the rule of law must be strengthened, corruption and organized crime must be tackled and freedom of the press guaranteed.

Pretty much the same requirements last summer To the new nominees members Ukraine and Moldova.

To become a member, the candidate’s national laws must also be harmonized with EU law. This is a process that may take years. Five other Balkan countries (Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia) have been candidates for years, with no prospect of a date set for full membership.

Turkey applied for EU membership in 1987 and became a candidate member in 1999. Negotiations for full membership did not begin until 2005. They are far from finished.

Perhaps there is still a long way to go for Bosnia and Herzegovina. country works barely. Certainly, the chance of its collapse is not fanciful.

However, Bosnian Foreign Minister Turković welcomes the advice of the commission. It considers it an encouragement to implement the necessary reforms. “Reviving this process is vital for the citizens and state of Bosnia and Herzegovina and for peace in the region,” she said on Twitter.

It is now up to EU governments to adopt the advice of the European Commission. Each of the 27 member states must agree. The vote is not expected until December of this year.