Bosnia to apply for EU membership in January
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 17 December 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Bosnia to apply for EU membership in January, 17 December 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4282e27.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 17, 2015
The chairman of Bosnia-Herzegovina's three-man presidency says that the country will officially apply in January to join the European Union after being encouraged by the EU's positive assessment of its reform progress.
The announcement on December 17 by presidency Chairman Dragan Covic comes after years of delays on the issue.
Bosnia signed a pact on closer ties with the EU – known as a Stabilization and Association Agreement – in 2008.
But the agreement was not ratified until June 2015 when Germany and Britain launched a new initiative to encourage economic development.
Bosnia lags behind neighboring Balkan countries on the path to joining the EU.
If its application is accepted, years of difficult negotiations still lie ahead.
Many observers think Bosnia – politically decentralized along ethnic lines and economically impoverished – is unlikely to join the EU before 2025.
Based on reporting by Reuters and AP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website