Bosnia close to EU green light for membership talks

European Union leaders appeared poised on Thursday to invite Bosnia to open EU membership negotiations while also stressing the Balkan country would have to undertake more reforms before the talks could begin. Such a decision would be widely seen as historic in Bosnia, raising hopes that the country could move beyond instability marked by ethnic rivalries and secession threats, nearly three decades after the end of a devastating war.

European Union leaders appeared poised on Thursday to invite Bosnia to open EU membership negotiations while also stressing the Balkan country would have to undertake more reforms before the talks could begin.

Such a decision would be widely seen as historic in Bosnia, raising hopes that the country could move beyond instability marked by ethnic rivalries and secession threats, nearly three decades after the end of a devastating war. Bosnia has taken advantage of a new openness to EU enlargement among EU officials, who have said Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine showed the dangers of having "grey zones" destabilised by foreign powers on the EU's borders.

EU leaders are expected to take a formal decision during a two-day summit in Brussels that began on Thursday. Bosnia needs unanimity to get the green light, but many leaders signalled on arrival at the summit that they would give the go-ahead. "I am very much in favour of the fact that, after the many efforts that have been made in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we now open up the next steps for this country," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.

The leaders of Austria, Croatia and Luxembourg made similar comments. Even Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who has taken a strict line on conditions for potential new members, said Bosnia had done enough for an invitation, but would need to do more. "Bosnia has made progress. So that means we support opening of negotiations," he said. "But at the same time ... Bosnia needs to do much more to be able collectively to open the talks."

An invitation to membership would mark the start of a process likely to take many years. In recent months, Bosnia has adopted laws related to 14 priorities set out in 2019 by the European Commission, focusing on democracy and the functioning of the state, the rule of law, fundamental rights and reform of public administration.

The Commission last week recommended the EU open membership talks with Bosnia, noting significant progress on several issues. But the country has yet to adopt laws on courts and election reform, both priorities set out by the Commission. Arriving at the Brussels summit, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas sounded a cautionary note on Sarajevo's prospects.

"Not all the conditions regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina have been met," she said. "If those conditions are met, then we also have to follow our promises." Close allies of Ukraine, such as Estonia, have stressed they want to see the EU advance Kyiv on its path to membership. EU leaders invited Ukraine and Moldova to begin membership talks in December but no date has been set for negotiations to start.

Diplomats say allies of Bosnia and Ukraine are trying to link the two, arguing one should not advance without the other. (Reporting Nette Nöstlinger, Daria Sito-Sucic, Bart H. Meijer and Andrew Gray; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

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