Key events in the relations between BiH and European Union

2024. 

• March 21 - the Council of the European Union made a decision to open accession negotiatons with Bosnia and Herzegovina

2022. 

• December 15 - the European Council endorsed the decision to grant the status of EU candidate country to Bosnia and Herzegovina

2016.

• February 15 - Bosnia and Herzegovina handed over in Brussels the application for membership in the European Union
• August 8 -The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has adopted the Decision on the System of Coordination of the European integration process in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision defines the institutional and operational system and method of achieving coordination of institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina on the implementation of activities related to the process of integration into EU and common bodies under the coordination system, their composition, responsibilities and relationships as well.
• September 20 - The Council on General Affairs of the European Union accepted the request of Bosnia and Herzegovina for membership in the European Union and gave an order to the European Commission to develop a questionnaire for BiH.

 

2015

• January 29 - BiH Presidency adopted the Declaration on Commitment of Government Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels to implement the necessary reforms in the framework of the EU accession process
• February 23 - The Decision on Ratification and the Statement of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina on Commitment of Government Institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina at all levels to implement necessary reforms in the framework of the EU accession process was adopted at the special sessions of both houses of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly. Through the endorsement of this statement at the sessions of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly, the key condition of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and the EU was met
• April 21 - The Council of the EU adopted the Decision on conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and EU
• June 1 - The Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and the EU entered into force
• July 23 - The Council of Ministers adopted the harmonized Reform Agenda for BiH for the period 2015-2018
• August 27 - The House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly acknowledged the harmonized Reform Agenda for BiH for the period 2015-2018
• September 17 - The House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly acknowledged the harmonized Reform Agenda for BiH for the period 2015-2018
• October 6 - The Council of Ministers adopted the Action Plan for the implementation of the Reform Agenda for BiH
• November 5-6 - Sarajevo hosted the first session of the Parliamentary Committee for Stabilisation and Asssociation, a joint instrument of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly and the European Parliament for the implementation of the parliamentary dimension of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between BiH and the EU

 

2012

• The first meeting of the High-Level Dialogue on the Accession Process (HLDAP) of BiH was held and the Road Map for the request of EU membership by BiH presented. The second meeting of HLDAP was held in November 2012. 

 

2011

• The first meeting of the EU-BiH Structured Dialogue on Justice was held. 

 

2010 

• December: The Council of the European Union, Justice and Home Affairs Council, decided to lift the visa regime for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Upon publication of the Decision in the Official Gazette of the European Union, the citizens of BiH were able to travel freely from 15 December. Before the Decision has been made, the BiH authorities had to fulfil 174 technical requirements. The most important requirement was the introduction of biometric passports.
• October: The European Parliament adopted the proposal for liberation of visa regime for the citizens of BiH
• May: The European Commission proposed visa lifting for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has been conditioned by the fulfilment of remaining criteria from the visa liberalisation roadmap.

 

2008

• October: The Parliamentary Assembly of BiH gave consent for ratification of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA).  

 

2007

• December: Upon conclusion of the EU Commissioner for enlargement, Mr. Olli Rehn, that there had been sufficient consent between political leaders in BiH in regard to the process of reforms, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia and Herzegovina was initialled in Sarajevo. 

 

2006

• December: The SAA technical negotiations between the EU and BiH were successfully concluded. The Agreement, however, was not signed and officially entered into force due to lack of progress of the key reforms.   

 

2005

• October: The European Commission estimated that BiH made a significant progress in implementing reforms stipulated in the Feasibility Study and proposed that negotiations on the SSA commence.   
• November: Negotiations on the SAA between the EU and BiH officially commenced.

 

2004

• The European Union accepted the European partnership with BiH.

 

2003

• June: The Thessaloniki Summit; the Stabilisation and Association process was confirmed as the EU policy for the Western Balkans. The European prospects of these countries were also confirmed.
• November: The capacities of BiH to implement the SAA were assessed by the Feasibility Study. The Study concluded that the negotiations with BiH should commence after BiH had made progress in 16 priority areas.

 

2002

• December: The European Commission stated that the Road Map guidelines on the approximation to the European Union were mostly fulfilled. 

 

2000

• The publication of the EU Road Map. This document defined 18 key conditions that Bosnia and Herzegovina must fulfil in order to begin the development of the Feasibility Study to commence negotiations on stabilisation and association. 
• Timelines extension of the custom-free approach for products from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the European Union market.
• The Council passed a provision on the EU support Programme for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization – CARDS.
• November: Zagreb Summit; The stabilisation and association process between the EU and Western Balkans countries (including BiH) was officially supported. 

 

1999

• The Stability Pact, a political document, strategic goals of which are stabilisation of the South East Europe through the approximation of the regional countries to Euro-Atlantic integration and strengthening the regional cooperation, was consolidated.  
• The summit of the heads of states and governments of Europe, Canada, Japan and USA was held at which the Stability Pact was supported and thus officially established.  

 

1998

• The EU/BiH Consultative Task Force (CTF) was set up to provide technical and professional assistance in governance, legislative framework and policy.

 

1997

• The Council of the European Union set out political and economic prerequisites for the development of bilateral relations. Bosnia and Herzegovina enjoys autonomous commercial privileges

 

1995

• Dayton (Paris) Peace Agreement ended the war and established two Entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Federation of BiH and Republika Srpska.

 

1992

• Relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union began to develop upon the international recognition of R BiH as an independent and sovereign state.