Statement by BIH Council of Ministers Chairman Zoran Tegeltija Regarding Getting EU Candidate Status

On the occasion of getting a candidate status of BIH for accession to the EU, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH dr Zoran Tegeltija said that it is a positive signal awaited by citizens of BIH for a long time and strong message that the Western Balkans is at the priority list of the European Union, as well as strong motivation for further continuation of reform implementation aimed at improvement of living conditions of BIH citizens. 

Chairman Tegeltija stressed that the Council of Ministers of BIH worked devotedly on fulfilment of candidate status-related requests, underlining that the past three years were globally challenging, staring from delay in formation of BIH-level government, corona virus pandemics, to wider geopolitical events and implications.

He underlined that the Council of Ministers, against all odds, managed to realise significant activities which contribute to implementation of 14 key priorities, such as adoption of a comprehensive Public Finance Management Strategy, finalising years-long process of its development. He remained that the Parliamentarian Assembly adopted amendments and supplements to the Public Procurement Law, this August, while the Council of Ministers defined a Proposal law on amendments and Supplements to the Law on Ombudsman for Human Rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Chairman Tegeltija said that a consensus was reached within BIH, all needed steps and negotiations taken for accession of BIH to the Civil Protection Mechanism, and consequently the related Agreement was signed in September. Also, a Framework Agreement IPA III was singed and ratified, meaning a complete procedure - which implied a joint effort taking and cooperation of all-level authorities, including on the part of  the Council of Minister, Presidency of BH and Parliamentarian Assembly of BIH - was realised in a record short time, this July and August.

The Chairman of the Council of Ministers stressed that all above noted is a clear indicator that there is will in BIH in the context of the European integrations with a high level of agreement by all-level authorities.

“Although we have expected the EU to recognise earlier the efforts BIH have been taking, and being aware that some countries got their candidate status without conditioning, I am pleased by the fact that BIH effort has been finally acknowledged and that BIH has deservingly got the candidate status”, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of BIH dr Zoran Tegeltija said.

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