The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, addressed the European Parliament, where she promised that Bosnia and Herzegovina would be given the green light to start negotiations with the EU. Von der Leyen stated that Bosnia and Herzegovina has made the most significant progress in the past year compared to the last 10 years on its EU path, as reported by Večernji.ba.

She listed a number of achievements made on the path towards the EU, including the adoption of agreements with Frontex, the Law on Conflict of Interest Prevention, and the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.

Due to these positive processes carried out by the current authorities, which von der Leyen praised, the EU will give the green light for the opening of negotiations. However, it was not highlighted whether we would immediately receive the date of the Intergovernmental Conference, at which we would officially enter the negotiations, following the decision on March 21st.

Here's what she said about Bosnia and Herzegovina in her speech:

"Today, we present a report on Bosnia and Herzegovina's progress. This is a factual analysis of the latest events. And it gives a very clear picture. Since we obtained candidate status, Bosnia and Herzegovina has made impressive steps towards us. More progress has been made in just over a year than in more than a decade. First, Bosnia and Herzegovina is now fully aligned with our foreign and security policy, which is crucial in these times of geopolitical upheaval. Second, the country adopts important laws, such as the Law on Conflict of Interest Prevention, which has been stalled for seven years, and the Law on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism. Third, its management of migration flows continues to improve, and negotiations on the Frontex agreement are now ready to begin after the Presidency approved the negotiating mandate. Fourth, the Ministry of Justice has consented to include judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in domestic criminal records. And fifth, concerning dialogue and reconciliation, the new Peacebuilding Board has just become operational. Of course, more progress is needed for accession to our Union. But the country shows that it can meet the criteria for membership and the aspirations of its citizens to be part of our family. Therefore, today we will decide to recommend to the Council to open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The message coming from Bosnia and Herzegovina is clear. Therefore, our message must be clear too. The future of Bosnia and Herzegovina is in our Union."

"Good news! We have decided to recommend to the European Council to give Bosnia and Herzegovina the green light to start negotiations with the EU," said von der Leyen, followed by applause.

The European Council will make a decision on Bosnia and Herzegovina's entry into the negotiation processes on March 21, 2024, which is expected to be positive, especially after the announcement by the President of the European Commission that they will approve our negotiating status and recommend it to the Council.

AI-translated