EU urges BiH to resume reforms after election, warns of funding loss

SARAJEVO, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission has urged Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to resume its reform momentum following the Oct. 4 general election, warning that the country risks losing 373.9 million euros (about 418 million U.S. dollars) from the Western Balkans Growth Plan, local media FENA reported Thursday.

File photo: Xinhua

In response to questions from the BiH media, the Commission said BiH needs to step up reforms to enable the EU Council to adopt a negotiating framework and pave the way for the first intergovernmental conference on its EU accession talks.

The European Council decided in March 2024 to open accession negotiations with BiH, but the first intergovernmental conference has yet to take place.

The European Commission highlighted the need to adopt laws on the Court of BiH and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH, and to appoint a chief negotiator with a full mandate to represent the country.

The Commission warned that the grace period for the first 50 reform measures under the Western Balkans Growth Plan will expire on Dec. 31, 2026. If the required conditions are not met, BiH risks losing 373.9 million euros in EU funding, it said.