Bosnië-Herzegovina dichterbij EU-lidmaatschap (en)

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Bosnia and Herzegovina could start negotiations on a Stability and Association Agreement (SAA), the first step on the road to EU membership by the end of this year, the European Commission announced on Monday (21 March).

These agreements are designed to help the countries begin to prepare themselves for the demands of accession to the EU.

But Bosnia and Herzegovina still has work to do before such an agreement can be drawn up.

More progress is needed particularly concerning co-operation with the UN Tribunal in the Hague, which "will have to continue" and lead to "full co-operation", Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn i said during a joint press conference with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Prime Minister Adnan Terzic.

For his part, the Bosnian leader denied that any indictees are on his country's territory.

"Intelligence information is without doubt saying that none of those who are indicted for war crimes are currently on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina", Mr Terzic said.

Mr Terzic welcomed the possibility to open negotiations and explained that "for Bosnia and Herzegovina the adoption and implementation of European standards is not an obstacle anymore".

Other than the co-operation with The Hague, the second priority for the country will have to be the "policy form", "where we expect a clear state level competence", Mr Rehn said.

"We want it to be conducted on the basis of policy principles, not political principles", he added.

If "significant progress" is made, the Commission will make a positive evaluation by the end of May. It will then have to be assessed by member states, Commissioner Rehn explained.

And if the member states' assessment is positive, "we can start working on preparing the negotiation mandate for the negotiations on SAA", he added.

Mr Rehn thinks it is "fully realistic" for this to be achieved by "November-December of this year", but it is "now in the hands of Bosnia and Herzegovina" to initiate the process.

Similar message to Serbia

Later on Monday, while giving a joint press conference with Serbia and Montenegro's President, Boris Tadic, Mr Rehn said he hoped to conclude the feasibility study - the Commission's evaluation of the country with a view to eventual membership - by the end of March.

As in the case for Bosnia and Herzegovina, member states will then have to make an evaluation, and if the latter is positive, "we can start the preparations for negotiations (on SAA)".

Mr Rehn praised Serbia's progress in legal and administrative reform, and its co-operation with The Hague.

But he said much is still to be done in the field of "fighting corruption and organised crime".

"We hope and expect more" before and after the conclusion of the feasibility study, particularly concerning co-operation with the UN Tribunal, he concluded.

Although all of the Western Balkans has been given the prospect of membership, the EU has recently toughened its stance on EU hopefuls.

This was clearly the case last week, when the formal opening of EU talks with Croatia was postponed after a majority of member states felt it had not done enough for the UN Court in The Hague.

The European Commission proposed, on 26 May 1999, the creation of a Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP) for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.