Chronology of relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU

Key events in relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and European Union are as follows:

1997: The Council of Ministers of the European Union sets the political and economic requirements for the development of bilateral relations. Bosnia and Herzegovina is provided with an opportunity to use autonomous trade measures.

1998: Setting up EU-BH Consultative Task Force – CTF, which ensures technical and professional assistance in the field of administration, legislative framework and policy.

May 1999: Stabilization and Association Process – SAP began. The process provides a clear possibility of integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the remaining five countries of the West Balkan in the EU.

June 1999: Activities of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe, whose strategic goal is stabilization in South Eastern Europe by bringing the countries of the region closer to Euro-Atlantic integration and strengthening regional cooperation, were initiated. In June 1999, a summit of the heads of countries and governments of Europe, Canada, Japan and America was held in Sarajevo, in frames of which the establishment of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe was supported and officially agreed upon.

March 2000: Road Map of the EU was published. This document defined 18 key requirements that Bosnia and Herzegovina should comply with in order to start drafting Feasibility Study for the beginning of negotiations regarding the Stabilization and Accession Agreement (SAA).

2000: Autonomous Trade Measure – ATM for products from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the internal market of the European Union was introduced.

December 2000: The Council of the European Union approved Council Regulation no. 2666/2000 regarding Community Assistance for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization - CARDS). CARDS was a technical assistance program of the European Union for Reconstruction, Development and Stabilization intended for Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and FR Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro).

March 2003: Work on the Feasibility Study began. The European Commission submitted to the Council of Ministers a Questionnaire with 346 questions, covering the area of economic and political organization of BH and other areas relevant for the conclusion of the Stabilization and Association Agreement.

November 2003: The European Commission approved the assessment of the Feasibility Study. The Feasibility Study identified 16 priority areas for which substantial progress in reformation would be the basis for the European Commission to recommend to the EU Council to open negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement with BH.

March 2004: The Council of the European Union approved the first European partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

November 2005: Negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement officially started on November 25th in Sarajevo.

January 2006: The First Plenary Round of Negotiations between EU and BH, as well as the First Plenary Session on Reform Process Monitoring – RPM were held, replacing the current Consultative Working Body. The Council of the European Union approved the second European partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

January 2007: Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance – IPA was established; aimed at all pre-accession activities funded by the European Commission.

February 2007: The Council of the European Union approved the third European partnership with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

November 2007: Technical negotiations on the Stabilization and Association Agreement were finalized, and the initiation and signature thereof depend on the fulfillment of political requirements.

December 2007: The Stabilization and Association Agreement was initialed on December 4th.

February 2008: Framework Agreement on the Rules of Cooperation for the Implementation of the Financial Support of the European Commission to BH in frames of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance – IPA (IPA) was signed on February 20th.

June 2008: The Stabilization and Association Agreement was signed on June 16th.

July 2008: Interim Agreement on Trade and Trade-Related Matters entered into force on July 1st.

November 2008: The first meeting of the Stabilization and Accession Interim Committee was held, as the highest body in the stabilization and association process, whose main task (along with six interim subcommittees) is monitoring the fulfillment of the obligations from the Interim Agreement.

June 2011: The first meeting of the Structured Dialogue on Justice between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the European Union was held.

June 27th 2012: The first meeting of the Dialogue at a high level in the process of accession of BH was held, when the Roadmap for an application for EU membership was presented. The second meeting was held in November 2012.

July 1st 2013: The Republic of Croatia became the 28th member country of the EU, and Bosnia and Herzegovina has a border with a member country of the European Union for the first time.

January 2014: EU set up the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance – IPA II for the period 2014 – 2020.

June 1st 2015: The Stabilization and Association Agreement between EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina entered into force.

February 15th 2016: Pursuant to Article 49 of the Treaty on European Union, BH submitted the formal "EU membership application" within the framework of the Dutch Presidency of the Council of Europe.

September 20th 2016: The Council of the European Union called on the European Commission to prepare an opinion on the application for membership in the European Union by Bosnia and Herzegovina.

February 28th 2018: The Presidents of the Presidency and of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dragan Čović and Denis Zvizdić respectively, delivered Bosnia and Herzegovina's answers to the Questionnaire of the European Commission to Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission.

June 20th 2018: The European Commission submitted additional questions for the purpose of preparing an opinion on Bosnia and Herzegovina's application for membership in the European Union. Additional questions make up 20% of questions from the Questionnaire delivered in December 2016. Other countries in the environment had a similar proportion of additional questions and answers in the Questionnaire.