
- EU monitoring reports
- Key EU strategy documents
- Contractual relations
- Key European Council conclusions
- Key documents prepared by the Bosnian government
- Pre-accession funds
- Peace Implementation Council (PIC)
- Weblinks
This section offers close to 250 key texts and background documents related to Bosnia and Herzegovina's EU accession process. Key documents on the EU enlargement process in general can be found in ESI's background document library on EU enlargement.
EU monitoring reports
All official Commission reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina prepared by DG Enlargement:
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2014 (8 October 2014)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2013 (16 October 2013)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2012 (10 October 2012)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2011 (12 October 2011)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2010 (9 November 2010)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2009 (14 October 2009)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2008 (5 November 2008)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2007 (6 November 2007)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2006 (8 November 2006)
- EC, Progress Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina 2005 (9 November 2005)
Key EU strategy documents
Since 2005 Bosnia and Herzegovina and all other candidate and potential candidate countries have been included in the European Commission's annual strategy paper on EU Enlargement.
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2014 (8 October 2014)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2013 (16 October 2013)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2012 (10 October 2012)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2011 (12 October 2011)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2010 (9 November 2010)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2009 (14 October 2009)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2008 (5 November 2008)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2007 (6 November 2007)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2006 (8 November 2006)
- EC, Enlargement Strategy Paper 2005 (9 November 2005)
Contractual Relations
The major agreements between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the EU:
- European Partnership 2008
- Interim Agreement on Trade (signed 16 June 2008, Luxembourg)
- Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA, signed 16 June 2008 Luxembourg)
- European Partnership 2004
Key European Council conclusions
The European Council, the highest decision making body of the EU, takes key decisions with regard to EU enlargement. As Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet submitted an official application for membership, there are no council conclusions related especially to Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession process.
In November 2010, the Council took one of its most significant decisions on Bosnia and Herzegovina, approving the Commission proposal of 27 May 2010 to abolish visa restrictions for citizens of the country. The decision entered into force on 15 December 2010.
- Brussels European Council, 3043rd Justice and Home Affairs meeting conclusions approving a visa-free travel regime for citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (and Albania) holding biometric passports.
Key documents prepared by the Bosnian government
Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress towards EU accession has been slow. Although a milestone was reached with the signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement on 16 June 2008, three years later the country has not yet even submitted a membership application. A number of strategic and political documents detail the government's current efforts to move closer to EU accession:
- EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina SAA structured dialogue on Justice (2011)
- 2011 – 2013 Economical and Fiscal Programme
- 2010-2011 Action Plan for the Implementation of the Interim Agreement and SAA
- 2009 Report on the implementation of the Interim Agreement and the SAA
- Semi-annual Review of Realisation of the European Partnership Priorities (July-December 2009)
- Annex I – Legislative activities
- Annex II – Establishment of institutions
- Annex III – Priorities marked as "open issues"
- Overview of Strategic Documents in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Excel Document)
- Addendum to the input of BIH Institutions for the annual progress report for 2009
- Communication Strategy for Informing the Public about Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession process to the EU (2009)
- Contributions of BIH Institutions to the regular annual progress report for 2008
- EU Integration Strategy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006)
- Development of an Action Plan for implementation of SAA/Interim Agreement (2009)
- Report on the current state of implementation of SAA/Interim Agreement (2008)
- Draft Strategy for Implementation of Decentralised Implementation System (DIS)
Pre-accession funds
In the EU's 2007-2013 budget cycle all pre-accession programmes were merged into a single mechanism, the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The IPA has five components. Potential candidate countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina so far could only benefit from two of them – general capacity building and cross border cooperation. EC support was previously channelled mainly through the CARDS programme, designed for the Western Balkans in 2000 for a six-year period.
INSTRUMENT FOR PRE-ACCESSION ASSISTANCE (IPA)
- EC, Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document 2011-2013 (All Balkans)
- EC, Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document 2011-2013 (BiH)
- EC, Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document 2009-2011 (BiH)
- EC, Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document 2008-2010 (BiH)
- EC, Multi-Annual Indicative Planning Document 2007-2009 (BiH)
- EC, Council Regulation 718/2007 on the implementation of IPA (12 June 2007)
- EC, Council Regulation 1085/2006 ("IPA regulation", 17 July 2006)
- DG Enlargement, IPA website
For details about the multi-annual indicative financial frameworks, including information and financial data on all recipient countries, visit the respective section of ESI's background document library on EU enlargement.
You can find more documents on the two IPA components in the Bosnian section of the webpage of DG Enlargement.
COMPONENT I: TRANSITION ASSISTANCE AND INSTITUTION BUILDING
- 2013 National Programme
- 2012 National Programme
- 2011 National Programme
- 2010 Commission Decision
- 2010 Financing Proposal
- 2009 Commission Decision (Part I; Part II)
- 2008 Commission Decision (Part I; Part II)
- 2008 Financial Proposal (Part I; Part II)
- 2007 Commission Decision
- 2007 Financing Proposal
Other programmes and project fiches for the Transition Assistance and Institution Building component can be accessed on the website of DG Enlargement.
COMPONENT II: CROSS-BORDER CO-OPERATION
- 2014–2020 Cross-border co-operation programme BiH-MNE
- 2014-2020 Action programme BiH-MNE for the year 2014
- 2007-2013 Cross-border co-operation programme BiH-Croatia
- 2007-2013 Cross-border co-operation programme BiH-Montenegro
- 2007-2013 Cross-border co-operation programme BiH-Serbia
Other documents and programmes on Cross-Border Co-operation can be found here.
For the European Commission's annual reports on all EU pre-accession funds, click here.
CARDS
Before IPA, EU assistance was channelled through the Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilisation (CARDS) programme. In 2000, various EU assistance programmes for the Western Balkans were streamlined into this single tool, which was designed to support the Stabilisation and Association process.
- EC, CARDS Multi-annual Indicative Programme 2005-2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Annual Programme 2006
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Annual Programme 2005
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Annual Programme 2004
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Annual Programme 2003
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Financing Proposal 2002
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Initial Support Programme 2001
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Additional Support Programme 2001
- EC, CARDS Bosnia and Herzegovina Support programme 2001
- EC, Country strategy paper 2002-2006, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- EC, CARDS Regulation (2000)
Peace Implementation Council (PIC)
The Peace Implementation Council (PIC) was established after the Dayton Peace Agreement in late 1995. It comprises 55 countries and agencies. Its steering board acts as the "executive arm of the PIC." The OHR website describes the PIC steering board's function as follows:
"The Steering Board provides the High Representative with political guidance. In Sarajevo, the High Representative chairs weekly meetings of the Ambassadors to BiH of the Steering Board members. In addition, the Steering Board meets at the level of political directors three times a year."
The Steering Board members are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, the Presidency of the European Union, the European Commission, and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which is represented by Turkey.
Here you can find all communiqués and statements issued by the PIC since its inception.
Weblinks
- Bosnia and Herzegovina Council of Ministers' Directorate for European Integration provides a wide range of information and key political documents, as well as up-to-date analysis of the country's EU accession process.
- The Bosnia country page of the European Commission's DG Enlargement website and the EC Delegation's website offer detailed information on the EC's programmes and overall EU presence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- The website of the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina offers regular reviews of the country's economy.
9 April 2015