prijava
SARAJEVO, November 7 (FENA) - The decision of the Council of the European Union not to open membership talks with Albania and North Macedonia, countries that have made numerous reforms and compromises, does not reflect well on the European Union, but it also has implications for other Western Balkan countries.
This was highlighted, among other things, at the roundtable on "Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union: what now?" jointly organized in Sarajevo by the Pan-European Union of BiH and the Faculty of Political Science of the University of Sarajevo.
This event was attended by representatives of international institutions in BiH, as well as representatives of the academic community, where the current challenges of the EU and their impacts on the enlargement process were discussed, with particular emphasis on direct implications for BiH.
President of the Pan-European Union in BiH Osman Topčagić opened the meeting, and stressed that it had happened earlier that the European Commission proposed to open negotiations, in this case for Albania and North Macedonia, without the EU Council.
Topčagić said that such decision is reflected in other countries whose aspirations are full EU membership, which are in the Western Balkans region.
He explained that the story of the EU enlargement process is now opening up, i.e. how successful it is and how countries involved in the process, despite formal progress, are actually changing internally, how much they adopt European standards and values, and how much they implement the laws they adopt.
In this regard, there is discontent in the EU because of this, but on the other hand, the countries aspiring to join the EU are also dissatisfied, and Topčagić recalls that stabilization and association process started 20 years ago and so far only one country involved in this EU policy has become a member.
"We know how much we have stabilized inside and in mutual relations. The process is slow, reluctant and looks for ways to create incentives for countries to better meet conditions, but also for the EU to recognize the full benefits of further enlargement in this area, which is part of the European continent and surrounded by member states," said Topčagić.
The Head of the EU Delegation to BiH Johann Sattler estimated that the two countries are in fact collateral damage of the whole situation, and they are countries that have done a lot in recent years.
These countries are Albania which has made significant steps in reforming the justice system, and North Macedonia, which has changed its name, constitution, school books and has shown decisive leadership.
"Therefore, North Macedonia deserves more than Albania to open enlargement negotiations, which is why I agree with EU Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn, who said that this decision does not reflect well on the European Union," Sattler stressed.
When it comes to the situation in BiH, he emphasized that the problem is even worse due to the fact that new convocation of the BiH Council of Ministers has not been formed for more than a year, and at the same time the work of the state parliament is blocked.
Dean of the Faculty of Political Science Sead Turčalo believes that the whole region is located on the outskirts of the EU, and especially when one reads the latest EC Opinion on BiH, then BiH and Kosovo are far away from integration process.
The Pan-European Union is urging the EU to consider giving additional resources to the countries involved in the stabilization and association process, as Bulgaria, for example, receives EUR 11.5 billion in seven years, and Serbia of similar size in terms of population receives EUR 1.5 billion. With this redistribution, the difference in development is further increased.
As concluded, BiH should formally adopt the Action Plan prepared through the coordination mechanism of the Directorate for European Integration as soon as possible, and to focus its attention on the 14 priority areas that the EU Council will consider when discussing the European Commission's Opinion on BiH's application for membership.
(FENA) A. B.
