Bosnia and Herzegovina readies EU membership bid

[poiuytrewq0987]

The move comes after Muslim, Serb and Croat leaders put an end to the political deadlock that stalled reforms needed for progress towards EU membership and left the economy floundering following an inconclusive election in October 2010.

"I expect that we shall fulfil conditions for submitting the application for EU membership by June 30," Vjekoslav Bevanda, a Bosnian Croat economist who chairs the central cabinet known as the Council of Ministers, said in an interview yesterday (21 February).

Bosnia's rival ethnic leaders forged a political agreement in December that resulted in the formation of the central government and two new laws seen as key for reviving the EU accession bid.

"Passing the laws on the census and state aid was a great achievement, but we now have to implement them," Bevanda said. Parliament must also complete work on harmonising the constitution with European human rights standards, the remaining EU condition, he added.

At the end of the 1992-95 war, Bosnia was split into two autonomous regions linked by a weak central government: the Federation, dominated by Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims) and Croats, and the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska.

The reformist Bevanda, who stabilised the Federation's finances during the 2008-2009 crisis when he served as its finance minister, dismissed analysts' predictions of more politicking and obstruction by ethnically divided parties.

"The atmosphere in the Council of Ministers shows a positive will to implement everything that political leaders have agreed upon," he said.

Bosnia is lagging behind its west Balkan neighbours in the queue for EU membership. Croatia is due to join the bloc in 2013, Macedonia has won candidacy status and Montenegro expects to start accession talks in June.

Serbia and Albania have applied for membership but have yet to be granted official candidate status.

The first priority is to adopt a general fiscal framework for 2012-2014 and the state budget for 2012, Bevanda said, referring to key conditions set by the International Monetary Fund and the EU to unfreeze loans halted over reform delays.

"We have set an ambitious goal... and I am confident that we shall have the 2012 budget passed by parliament by March 31," Bevanda said.

http://www.euractiv.com/enlargement/...id-news-511026

[InvaderNat]

Why on Earth are people still talking about entering the EU??!!! Many in the EU are now talking about whether or not to leave.

The EU and it's unworkable currency have been a massive failure.

[Heretik]

It is extremely popular in the Balkan countries. Our politicians portray EU as the only option and via mass media brainwash the population how things will be so much worse if we don't join it. Croatia is lost... Maybe our neighbours will be smarter.

[Flintlocke]

Bye bye Bosnia.

[Leliana]

Don't join, one mouth more to feed. But the prospect of money seems to be magnetic.

[Peyrol]

I miss 15 members EU...

[Radojica]

Don't join, one mouth more to feed. But the prospect of money seems to be magnetic.

Your politicians are going to rip what they sow, and expect a few more to come in incoming years up

[Leliana]

Your politicians are going to rip what they sow, and expect a few more to come in incoming years up

We are strong enough and our economy will still stand after everything in the EU has fallen apart but the Balkan could face new wars when there's no prospect of money and order. You can try to slaughter the cash cow but if she stops to give milk you'll starve to death.

[memobekes]

The EU has become nothing but a mere laughing stock blurred with hypocrisy and drowning beneath its own guise.

Why these countries are frantically lining up to join this doomed club is an unfortunate demonstration of simplistic jingoism...

[morski]

Don't join, one mouth more to feed. But the prospect of money seems to be magnetic.

For the last 6.5 years Bulgaria received the net sum of 2.46 billion euro, we received 5.56 billion and payed membership fee in amount of 3.11 billion. For the first year of our membership we were actually a net donor of the Union with 693 million euro. Up until 2011 our economic emmigrants sent more money than what we got from the Union.