The candidate status of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the EU has been approved, the decision of the European Council is awaited

The General Affairs Council of the European Union approved candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Radio Free Europe learns that the ministers responsible for European affairs, at a meeting that is still ongoing, have already adopted conclusions stating that “it is recommended that Bosnia and Herzegovina be granted the status of a candidate country with the confirmation of the European Council.”

This decision of the ministers will then be confirmed by the heads of state of the governments of the European Union member states at the summit that will be held on Thursday, December 15.

RSE previously had a look at the document that should be adopted at the end of the General Affairs Council meeting, which states that in “the current geopolitical context, the Council emphasizes the urgency for the country to move forward on its path to the EU.”

“Especially through the fulfillment of all 14 key priorities for the opening of EU accession negotiations identified in the Opinion of the European Commission on BiH’s request for EU membership, which was adopted by the Council in 2019,” it says in the conclusions.

In October, the European Commission recommended the status of a candidate for full membership in the EU for Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the expectation that eight specific conditions will be met:

adopt changes in the existing Law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council as a matter of priority
adopt the law on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council and adopt the law on the courts of Bosnia and Herzegovina
pass a law on preventing conflicts of interest
take decisive steps to strengthen the prevention and fight against corruption and organized crime
resolutely advance work on ensuring effective coordination at all levels of border management capacity, as well as ensuring the functioning of the asylum system
ensure the prohibition of torture, especially by establishing a national preventive mechanism against torture and ill-treatment
guarantee freedom of expression and the media and the protection of journalists, especially by ensuring appropriate judicial proceedings in cases of threats and violence against journalists and media workers
provide results in the functioning at all levels of the coordination mechanism on EU issues, including the development and adoption of the national program for the adoption of the EU acquis