The European Commission expressed regret on Friday over the ‘ongoing stalemate’ in negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina regarding the bilateral trade regime that followed Croatia’s accession to the European Union, warning at the same time that the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina will suffer direct damage as they will pay higher prices for products imported from Croatia.
As highlighted in a statement from the European Commission published on the website of the EU delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the current negotiations on the adaptation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement between the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina (SAA) and the Interim (Trade) Agreement in light of Croatia’s EU accession, Bosnia and Herzegovina continues to refuse to accept the EU methodology.
– Since no agreement has been reached on the adaptation of the SAA so far, Bosnia and Herzegovina is now imposing significant duties on the import of agricultural products from Croatia, particularly milk and certain types of meat and meat products that were fully liberalized until July 1, 2013. The European Commission regrets the current position of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is not in line with the spirit of bilateral free trade as regulated by the SAA and the Interim Agreement. The effective establishment of bilateral free trade is one of the cornerstones of the movement towards EU membership, and the current position of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents a step backward, states the European Commission’s statement.
