Presentation of the Transport Community held at the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Organised by the Committee on Foreign and Trade Policy, Customs, Transportation and Communications of the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina (PA BiH) and the Transport and Communications Committee of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, a presentation of the key findings of the Transport Community’s Annual Reports for 2025 was held today at the PA BiH.

The presentation, delivered by the Director of the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat, Matej Zakonjšek, brought together members of both Houses of the PA BiH, as well as representatives of the Ministry of Communications and Transport of Bosnia and Herzegovina, entity-level ministries of transport and communications, institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the transport sector, and representatives of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council of Europe Political School in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the World Bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Welcoming Director Zakonjšek and all participants, the Chair of the Committee on Foreign and Trade Policy, Customs, Transportation and Communications of the House of Peoples of the PA BiH, Safet Softić, emphasised that transport connectivity and the development of modern, efficient and safe transport infrastructure are key prerequisites for economic development, regional cooperation and the successful integration of the Western Balkan countries into the European Union (EU).

Mr Softić expressed his belief that the Transport Community presentation would contribute to a better understanding of the progress achieved so far, as well as the challenges facing Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that it would further strengthen cooperation between the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Transport Community.

In his opening remarks, the Chair of the Transport and Communications Committee of the House of Representatives of the PA BiH, Jasmin Imamović, expressed hope that the moderate progress achieved by Bosnia and Herzegovina, as noted in the Transport Community report, together with the key recommendations contained therein, would encourage the competent institutions in Bosnia and Herzegovina to focus on implementing these recommendations in order to accelerate progress and ensure more efficient adoption of relevant legislation in this field.

In this regard, Mr Imamović recalled that the adoption of legislation imposing stricter sanctions for reckless driving had been halted in the House of Peoples of the PA BiH, noting that its adoption would reduce the number of traffic fatalities in Bosnia and Herzegovina and result in a more favourable assessment in the Transport Community report.

In his presentation, the Director of the Transport Community Permanent Secretariat, Matej Zakonjšek, spoke about the progress made by Bosnia and Herzegovina in implementing action plans and aligning its legislation with the EU acquis in the field of transport, and presented relevant recommendations in this regard.

He also addressed the implementation of major Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) projects in the Western Balkans region, with particular focus on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

During the discussion, one of the key issues raised concerned the stay of professional drivers from Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region in Schengen Area countries. Addressing possible solutions, Director Zakonjšek noted that this issue is among the top priorities of European institutions, including the Transport Community, which has organised a series of meetings over the past few months involving representatives of drivers’ associations, competent ministries and European institutions. Director Zakonjšek also informed participants about the proposals and recommendations discussed at these meetings aimed at identifying both short-term and long-term solutions to this issue. (End)