Bosnia makes an important step on EU integration path

PSBiH

After a five-year stalemate, Bosnian MPs on Wednesday agreed on the rules of procedure for the EU-Bosnia Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, making a step forward in the country's EU integration process.

With this agreement, Bosnia has fulfilled one of 14 priorities from the European Commission's Opinion on the country's membership application.

Nebojsa Radmanovic, the speaker of the parliament's lower chamber, said the Committee members in Bosnian Parliament finally managed to agree on the voting procedure, which has been a stumbling block for years.

He explained the committee members of both parliaments will be passing decisions in consensus, with a possibility of filing amendments.

“After so many years we agreed that the decisions will require a two-thirds majority. I think this is good for everyone in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Radmanovic.

He also stressed this was a good example of how the Parliament is capable of reaching agreements regardless of different stances, assessing that this is only the first in a series of positive steps that will follow.

A simple majority, which was the European Parliament's proposal, was not possible in Bosnia due to the country's constitutional order and the decision-making process, he explained.

“We have to stick to that,” he added.

Denis Zvizdic, the Committee member, emphasised the importance of the agreement reached today, noting that this and recently reached agreement on elections in Mostar are a message for Brussels.

“This is yet another step forward in Bosnia and Herzegovina's path to European integration and it clearly showed the commitment of Bosnia and Herzegovina to become an EU member state in the future,” he underlined.