Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

EU/Bosnia and Herzegovina Stabilisation and Association Agreement

2008/0073(NLE)

PURPOSE: to conclude a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

NON-LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council and Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/998 on the conclusion of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part.

BACKGROUND: the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina of the other part, was signed on 16 June 2008, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

Following the signature of the Agreement, Croatia acceded to the European Union on 1 July 2013. To reflect this, an adaptation of the Agreement in the form of a Protocol is required.

It is now necessary to approve the Agreement.

CONTENT: under this Decision, the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, of the other part, the Annexes and Protocols annexed thereto, as well as the joint declarations and the declaration by the Community attached to the Final Act, are hereby approved on behalf of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community.

Those texts are attached to this Decision.

Main objectives of the Agreement: the Agreement focuses on the following elements:

  • supporting efforts to strengthen democracy and the rule of law;
  • contribution to the political, economic and institutional stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region;
  • provision for political dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina;
  • provisions on enhanced regional co-operation, including provisions on free trade areas between the countries of the region;
  • the perspective of the establishment of a free-trade area between the Community and Bosnia and Herzegovina within five years of the entry into force of the Agreement;
  • provisions on the movement of workers, freedom of establishment, supply of services, current payments and movement of capital;
  • the commitment by Bosnia and Herzegovina to approximate its legislation to that of the EC, notably in key areas of the internal market;
  • provisions on co-operation with Bosnia and Herzegovina in a wide range of fields, including justice, freedom and security;
  • provision for the establishment of a Stabilisation and Association Council which supervises the implementation of the Agreement, of a Stabilisation and Association Committee and a Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee.

The trade concessions granted by Council Regulation (EC) No 2007/2000 introducing exceptional trade measures for countries and territories participating in or linked to the European Union's Stabilisation and Association process, amending Regulation (EC) No 2820/98, and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1763/1999 and (EC) No 6/2000 will continue to apply, in parallel to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement.

N.B: the commercial provisions contained in the Agreement are of an exceptional nature, connected with the policy implemented within the framework of the stabilisation and association process, and will not constitute, for the European Union, any precedent in the commercial policy of the Union with regard to third countries other than those of the Western Balkans.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Decision shall enter into force on 21.4.2015. The Agreement shall enter into force on 1.6.2015.