The third session of the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee held in the BiH Parliamentary Assembly

The third session of the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee (SAPC) between the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PABiH) and the European Parliament concluded today in Sarajevo with a discussion on the state of play of the 14 key priorities set out in the European Commission’s Opinion on BiH's application for membership in the European Union (EU) and the adoption of a joint statement by the Co-Chairs.

In a frank and open discussion, the members of the SAPC acknowledged the efforts of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the progress made in meeting the priorities of the European Commission aimed at further progress of our country on its European path.

The participants of the two-day session expressed the hope that Bosnia and Herzegovina would continue to implement reforms and meet the priorities of the European Commission in the coming period, and that the European institutions would take positive decisions in November and December this year, in particular the decision to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was assessed to be of enormous importance for the future of all BiH citizens and a strong incentive for the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina to accelerate the European path.

Co-chairs of the SAPC Snježana Novaković Bursać (PABiH) and Romeo Franz (European Parliament) agreed on a joint statement, which emphasizes that the 3rd session of the SAPC was held at a crucial moment, since the European Commission will announce the expansion package next week for 2023. In this regard, the joint statement expressed the hope that the successful holding of the SAPC session in Sarajevo will lead the European Commission to the conclusion that the key priority number 3 from the Opinion has been entirely fulfilled. The statement also expresses the determination not to lose momentum in the inter-parliamentary relations between the PABiH and the European Parliament and to breathe new life into the parliamentary dimension of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between BiH and the EU.

At the end of the two-day session, an agreement was reached that the 4th session of the SAPC will be held in mid-March 2024 in Strasbourg. (End)