Bosnia and Herzegovina applies for EU membership, however……

Today’s European media outlets report on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s application for European Union membership. At the beginning of his term of office, EC President Jean-Claude Juncker stated that no new members would be integrated in this legislative period, but it does not mean that negotiations with accession candidates will come to a standstill, according to the Inside EU column in the Salzburger Nachrichten.

High Representative Vice-President for Foreign Affairs Federica Mogherini announced it yesterday, and considered this candidacy to be good news for the EU and for Bosnia, although adding that the country has not fulfilled all its obligations, Público notes. Indeed, the European Commission warned that the country has to implement numerous reforms, Magyar Idők adds. Through their Foreign Affairs Minister, the Netherlands, which are currently holding the EU Presidency, said that the candidacy would not be possible until after “significant progress in the execution of the reform programme” while European Commissioner for Enlargement Johannes Hahn pointed out that the accession would be possible only “in a few years”, lemonde.fr writes.

At the initiative of Germany and the UK, experts drew up a long list of reforms for Bosnia and Herzegovina one and a half years ago, but the country has hardly implemented any of the reforms, Der Standard notes. As admitted by Commissioner Hahn and the Chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Presidency Dragan Čović, this is the “beginning of a long journey”, Kurier and L’Echo report. Indeed, according to analysts, the country is not ready to join the EU before 2025, Pravda daily says. However, in Večernji list, Dehjan Jazvic estimates that Bosnia and Herzegovina could count on long-term stability, only under Euro-Atlantic integration. Even if the country is not ready for this application, the author highlights that it is the only hope for Bosnia.

An editorial in Swedish Landskrona Posten comments that even if times are tough for the EU, it still raises the hopes of millions of people in the countries which are knocking at its door. HRVP Mogherini commented that “a lot still has to be done”, while adding that “at the moment the union is questioned from within, it is still very attractive from the outside, and this is a sense of energy and a positive sign we welcome very much”. She even added that “seeing our close neighbours demonstrate such desire and energy to accede and work hard in order to adjust their countries, economies, societies, institutions and systems to EU rules, gives us a sense of responsibility for our European identity”, the Cyprus Mail quotes. In her commentary, Ingrid Runsten however adds that the EU can’t compromise on principles of democracy and respect for human rights.

The latest European Commission report on Bosnia and Herzegovina highlights difficulties concerning cooperation between the regional and federal levels, corruption and freedom of speech, Belgian media underline. Now, the Community member states will examine the request, Ziniu Radijas comments. The EU, meanwhile, wants to encourage the Balkans country to look to the West rather than be courted by Russia, Der Standard comments. Moreover, this step is important for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which suffered from a long and destructive civil war in the 1990’s, Helsingin Sanomat recalls, adding that the country’s EU project is an example of how countries in the Balkans try to get rid of the burden of their history.