Bosnia Exults as EU Activates Stability Deal

Bosnia made a historic step on its path towards eventual membership of the European club after the EU General Affairs Council on Tuesday approved its long dormant Stabilization and Association Agreement, SAA.

"The decision will allow BiH to move forward in its relations with the EU and it should provide a positive stimulus to continue socio-economic, judicial, and other necessary reforms for the EU integration of the country," the press release said.

It noted that the EU called on Bosnia to draw up an initial agenda for reforms with a focus on issues of direct concern to citizens.

"This initial agenda should include relevant reforms in the areas of the economy, rule of law and good governance, and should address functionality issues, including an effective coordination mechanism on EU matters," it added.

The breakthrough occurred without Bosnia making any concrete positive moves and required reforms. 

Instead, it was a result of EU leaders' tactical decision to take the troubled country deeper into the accession process, hoping that this may jolt local leaders into ending zero-sum games and undertake long-delayed reforms.
 
Bosnia signed the SAA back in 2008, but its activation remained blocked for years owing to the country's deep political, economic and social crisis.

A new EU initiative, presented by German and UK diplomats and adopted by EU leaders late last year, changed the sequence of actions and offered to activate the SAA once Bosnian leaders adopted a declaration pledging commitment to the European integration process.  
 
This technicality proved to be a major problem but Bosnian leaders finally adopted a vaguely worded text in mid-March, after which the EU Foreign Affairs Council gave a...