On the 2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina

–having regard to the Berlin Process, launched on 28 August 2014,

–having regard to Council Decision (EU) 2021/1923 of 4 November 2021 on an Assistance Measure under the European Peace Facility to support capacity building for the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

–having regard to Council Decision (EU) 2022/2353 of 1 December 2022 on an assistance measure under the European Peace Facility to strengthen the capacities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

–having regard to the Commission communication of 5 February 2020 entitled ‘Enhancing the accession process – A credible EU perspective for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0057),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2023)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Bosnia and Herzegovina 2023 Report’ (SWD(2023)0691),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘New growth plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2023)0691),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 12 March 2024 entitled ‘Report on progress in Bosnia and Herzegovina – March 2024’ (COM(2024)0129),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2024 on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews (COM(2024)0146),

–having regard to the Commission communication of 30 October 2024 entitled ‘2024 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2024)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024 Report’ (SWD(2024)0691),

–having regard to the Commission’s overview and country assessments of 31 May 2023 and of 13 June 2024 of the Economic Reform Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina,

–having regard to the fifth EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Council of 19 July 2023 and the seventh EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Committee meeting of 19 September 2024,

–having regard to the outcomes of the third, fourth and fifth meetings of the EU-Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, held on 30 and 31 October 2023, 13 and 14 March 2024 and 30 October 2024 respectively,

–having regard to the expert report of 5 December 2019 on rule of law issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina,

–having regard to the 63rd, 64th, 65th and 66th reports of the High Representative for Implementation of the Peace Agreement on Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Secretary-General of the UN of 9 May 2023, 2 November 2023, 15 May 2024, 1 November 2024 respectively,

–having regard to UN Security Council Resolution 2757 (2024) of 1 November 2024, which extends the mandate of the EU Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR) until 2 November 2025,

–having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 78/282 of 23 May 2024, designating 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica,

–having regard to its previous resolutions on Bosnia and Herzegovina,

–having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

–having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0000/2025),

A.whereas enlargement is one of the EU’s most effective foreign policy instruments and a geostrategic investment in peace, stability, security and prosperity;

B.whereas each country is judged on its own merits in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, including full respect for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental EU values;

C.whereas Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is a candidate country and its citizens aspire towards Euro-Atlantic integration for sustainable peace, democracy and prosperity; whereas 2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement;

Commitment to EU accession

1.Reaffirms its support for BiH’s EU accession process, grounded in unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity;

2.Welcomes the European Council’s decision to open accession negotiations with BiH; welcomes the adoption of some key laws in the run-up to this decision, but regrets that the positive reform dynamic has stalled; notes the recent adoption of the Laws on Border Control and on Personal Data Protection;

3.Urges BiH’s political leaders to take all relevant steps set out in the Commission’s recommendation of 12 October 2022 with a view to the negotiating framework being adopted by the Council once these conditions are met, and to step up the efforts to deliver on the 14 key priorities set out by the Commission in 2019; calls on all political actors to uphold BiH’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from all divisive rhetoric and acts;

4.Reiterates that BiH’s accession process needs to be rooted in functioning democratic institutions, the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, as well as respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens, including constituent peoples;

5.Condemns the repeated use of inflammatory rhetoric and the adoption of secessionist laws and policies by the leadership of the Republika Srpska (RS) entity; emphasises that such actions undermine BiH and are incompatible with its EU accession process; reiterates its call for targeted sanctions against all destabilising actors, notably Milorad Dodik;

6.Welcomes BiH’s formal full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy, including restrictive measures in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, and urges the effective implementation of these measures; condemns the pro-Russian stance of the RS entity’s leadership and their frequent meetings with Vladimir Putin and other Russian officials; expresses serious concerns about the security risks posed by these ties;

7.Reiterates its support for the Office of the High Representative and EUFOR Operation Althea in overseeing the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement; welcomes the renewal of the mandate of EUFOR Operation Althea;

8.Is concerned by foreign interference and disinformation campaigns by foreign actors in BiH and calls for further steps to effectively counter them;

9.Welcomes BiH’s renewed and sustained engagement in the EU-BiH Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee;

Democracy and the rule of law

10.Regrets the fact that political actors have still not enacted changes to the constitution and the electoral law to align them with the European Convention on Human Rights and to implement relevant European Court of Human Rights rulings to ensure non-discrimination and equality in accordance with the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH;

11.Notes the changes made to the Election Law by the High Representative in March 2024 that introduced important integrity standards and confidence-building measures; calls on the BiH Parliament to urgently address all outstanding recommendations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR) and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO);

12.Welcomes that the local elections of 6 October 2024 were competitive and effectively managed; regrets that they were held in an environment lacking social and political cohesion;

13.Condemns the RS entity’s actions that undermine BiH’s constitutional order and the competences of state bodies, and its obstructionism towards the Constitutional Court of BiH;

14.Remains seriously concerned about corruption, notably high-level corruption, in BiH and urges the relevant authorities to take a more proactive stance in fighting it;

15.Urges BiH to boost the fight against organised crime; is deeply concerned by vulnerabilities to criminal infiltration in the political, legal and economic systems;

16.Welcomes the new Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Terrorism Financing and urges BiH to strengthen measures in this area;

17.Welcomes the adoption of BiH’s Law on Border Control, and calls for full alignment with the EU’s visa policy;

18.Recalls the need for a professional and depoliticised civil service; welcomes the steps taken in public administration reform;

Fundamental freedoms and human rights

19.Strongly condemns discrimination, violence and hate speech against all minorities; calls for the effective prosecution of such incidents; urges BiH to promote and safeguard the human rights, non-discrimination and protection of all minorities;

20.Emphasises the importance of inclusive and quality education; reiterates its call for an end to the discriminatory practice of ‘two schools under one roof’;

21.Calls on BiH to guarantee the freedoms of assembly, association and expression, enabling the inclusion of civil society in policymaking; condemns the RS entity’s reintroduction of a law on ‘foreign agents’;

22.Stresses the key role of independent media; calls on BiH to ensure the financial sustainability and political independence of public broadcasters and the Communications Regulatory Agency of BiH; is strongly concerned by Russian propaganda in the RS entity’s public broadcaster and deplores the broadcasting of the RT (formerly Russia Today) channel, in violation of EU sanctions;

23.Condemns the political pressure, attacks, intimidation, threats, demeaning remarks and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) against journalists and media workers, especially by high-level politicians;

24.Urges BiH to ensure and effectively enforce relevant laws on general human rights; urges BiH to prosecute discriminatory crimes;

25.Recalls the need for solidarity-based migration and asylum management; calls on BiH to take full responsibility for the management of reception centres and to guarantee access to effective and feasible asylum procedures;

Reconciliation and good neighbourly relations

26.Recalls that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are essential elements of the EU enlargement process;

27.Stresses the importance of reconciliation in BiH and urges all authorities to actively promote and guarantee access to truth, justice and inclusive redress; calls for further efforts to address the issue of missing persons;

28.Deplores all forms of historical revisionism, genocide denial, glorification of war crimes and criminals, and contestation of facts or the independence and impartiality of international and domestic tribunals, especially by political leaders;

29.Welcomes the UN General Assembly’s decision to designate 11 July as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica;

30.Emphasises that regional cooperation via the common regional market is key to promoting economic growth; calls on BiH to swiftly ratify all regional mobility agreements under the Berlin Process;

Socio-economic reforms

31.Welcomes the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which includes the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans; urges BiH to adopt its Reform Agenda without further delay;

32.Encourages BiH to make best use of all EU financial support; calls on the Commission to continue providing financial and technical support for BiH’s EU integration based on strict conditionality;

Energy, the environment, sustainable development and connectivity

33.Encourages BiH to accelerate the diversification of energy sources, particularly regarding gas dependence on Russia, while enhancing energy security and efficiency, coupling with the European market and transitioning to renewables;

34.Urges BiH to adopt its national energy and climate plan and implement countrywide environmental protection strategies, while improving the quality and transparency of environmental investments; reiterates the need for effective air quality protection and improvement;

35.Stands in solidarity with BiH following the devastating floods and landslides of 3-4 October 2024;

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36.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the Presidency, Council of Ministers and Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the governments and parliaments of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republika Srpska entity and the Brčko District, and the Office of the High Representative.