2025 Commission report on Bosnia and Herzegovina
The European Parliament adopted by 478 votes to 116, with 54 abstentions, a resolution on the 2025 Commission report on Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Commitment to EU accession
Parliament reaffirmed its support for Bosnia and Herzegovina's accession to the EU on the basis of unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. It recalled that progress is based on merit and that sustainable and credible reforms must be undertaken to meet the Copenhagen criteria, protect democratic institutions, guarantee democracy, uphold the rule of law, combat corruption and organized crime, and ensure respect for fundamental rights and non-discrimination for all citizens, including the constituent peoples, regardless of their ethnic, religious, or other affiliations.
Members stressed that the EU must remain both demanding and fair in assessing the country's progress towards the accession criteria. They support the gradual integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina into certain EU policies and programmes before its full accession, depending on the progress made on reforms.
Parliament called for an end to obstructionism, politically-motivated uses of entity vetoes, counterproductive rhetoric, and divisive tactics that hinder progress and divert attention from EU-related reforms. It emphasised the crucial role of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the accession process, encouraging it to prioritise EU-related reforms.
Members welcomed Bosnia and Herzegovina's full formal alignment with the EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy, including the sanctions adopted in response to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. They welcomed the unanimous adoption by the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina of the 2025 reform programme and the country's continued commitment to NATO's Partnership for Peace.
Democracy and the rule of law
Parliament regretted that political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina had still not enacted the necessary constitutional and electoral reforms to ensure that all citizens can exercise their political rights on an equal footing. It reiterated its call for Bosnia and Herzegovina to align itself with the European Convention on Human Rights and to implement the relevant rulings of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Court of Human Rights in order to eliminate all inequalities and discrimination.
The authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are invited to:
- implement without further delay the international recommendations to strengthen the integrity, credibility and transparency of the electoral process;
- urgently undertake judicial reform to strengthen the judiciary’s independence, professionalism, accountability and efficiency;
- take immediate and concrete measures at the state and entity levels, and strengthen cooperation between anti-corruption bodies, the police and the public prosecutor's office, in order to tackle state capture more effectively so as to restore public confidence and reverse brain drain;
- ensure the professional, rights-based and non-intimidating treatment of reporting persons (whistleblowers);
- address systemic gaps in the fight against organised crime as well as gaps in the frameworks for combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism;
- align with EU visa policy;
- continue efforts to implement reforms in public financial management and public administration.
Fundamental freedoms and human rights
Parliament is concerned about the persistent lack of funding for the public broadcasting organisation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It deplored the deteriorating situation of press freedom in the country and called on Bosnia and Herzegovina to protect public media from political influence and to introduce rules on transparency in media ownership and public advertising. It also condemned the attacks, threats, intimidation, political pressure, and the use of criminal provisions for defamation and strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs).
Members called on Bosnia and Herzegovina to harmonise the legal and political framework relating to freedom of expression and hate speech at all levels of government. They also urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully protect freedom of assembly and association throughout the country.
The resolution called for intensifying efforts to promote gender equality and increase women's participation in public and political life. Although Bosnia and Herzegovina has ratified the Istanbul Convention, its legal commitment to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence remains inconsistent in its implementation.
BiH should assume full ownership of migration management, effectively implement the border control law, improve coordination and responsibility-sharing among all levels of government, adequately staff the border police, and provide accessible, efficient and fair asylum procedures while ensuring full respect for human rights.
On socio-economic reforms, Parliament welcomes BiH’s reform agenda and urged its swift implementation, recalling that BiH can still benefit from the allocation of EUR 976.6 million. It stressed that any release and disbursement of these funds must remain strictly conditional on the fulfilment of clear, measurable and verifiable milestones on the rule of law, the democratic functioning of institutions, fundamental freedoms and socio-economic reforms. It urged BiH to set up an institutional framework for the management of EU funds.