Bosnian Serb Lawmakers Block EU Accession Progress

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s lawmakers of the Serbian entity in the regional parliament have ordered Serb representatives in state institutions to block decision-making and law changes required for BiH’s European Union membership.

The announcement came following an emergency session related to the trial of the region’s leader, Milorad Dodik. The Serbian separatist is being prosecuted in BiH’s state court for ignoring decisions by international peace envoy Christian Schmidt, Schengen.News reports. 

In line with the Dayton Treaty that put an end to the ethnic war in the 1990s, BiH was divided into two autonomous regions: the Serb Republic and a Federation dominated by Croats and Bosniaks. 

These regions are connected by a weak central government, under the supervision of an international high representative, a position held by Schmidt since 2021. 

According to a report from Reuters, the Serb Republic lawmakers argued that Dodik’s trial was political and based on irregular decisions by Schmidt. In addition, according to them, the court and prosecution were unconstitutional after they were set up by a peace envoy and not by the Dayton Treaty. 

EU & US Condemns Serb Parliament’s Threat to BiH’s Constitutional Order 
The European Union delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina has condemned the move of the Serb parliament, considering it a serious threat to the country’s constitutional order. 

In addition to the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Special Representative in BiH, the Embassies of the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany and Italy, also criticised the move, reiterating their support for Bosnia and Herzegovina independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and multiethnic character. 

Through a joint statement, the Embassies, the EU Delegation to BiH and the EU Special Representative also highlighted their support for the High Representative, who, according to them, in accordance with his authority under the DPA / Annex X, holds the responsibility as the final interpreter of the civilian aspects of the DPA.

The statement highlights that neither entity has the authority to challenge the primacy of Bosnia and Herzegovina institutions or laws. 

The statement emphasized that the conclusions adopted by the RSNA recently pose a serious threat to the country’s constitutional order and directly undermine the authority of state-level rule of law institutions as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic path. 

BiH applied for EU membership in February 2016 while the European Council officially granted candidacy status on December 15, 2022.

Source: https://schengen.news/bosnian-serb-lawmakers-block-eu-accession-progress/