Bosnia and Herzegovina stands at a decisive moment on its path towards European Union membership, Chair of the European Committee of the Regions' Working Group on Relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Csaba Borboly, said during the third meeting of the Working Group held as part of the Committee of the Regions' annual Enlargement Days.
The meeting brought together local and regional leaders from the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina to discuss the state of EU–Bosnia and Herzegovina relations, the challenge of Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), and the role of local self-government in supporting the country's European integration process.
Opening the meeting, Borboly welcomed the adoption of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Reform Agenda under the EU Growth Plan but stressed that implementation must now follow. "Bosnia and Herzegovina is at a decisive moment. The Reform Agenda under the Growth Plan has been adopted – that is a good step. But now, implementation must follow. Without concrete results on the ground, political declarations will not be enough," he said.
Borboly underlined that the country's challenges do not stem from its decentralised structure but from insufficient coordination between different levels of governance. He called for renewed efforts to advance constitutional and electoral reforms in line with judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the adoption of key legislation on the judiciary and the appointment of a Chief Negotiator to move the accession process forward.
The Chair also highlighted the importance of local and regional authorities as partners in enlargement. "Local and regional authorities are not passive implementers. They are active partners in this process," Borboly said, reaffirming the Committee of the Regions' commitment to supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina through the Working Group and, when conditions are met, through a future Joint Consultative Committee.
The first debate focused on building resilience against Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI). Participants examined how disinformation and external influence operations can undermine trust in democratic institutions and weaken support for the European path. "Local authorities are on the front line of this challenge. They are closest to the citizens. They are the ones who can build resilience – or lose it," Borboly noted, stressing the need to equip local governments with the tools and knowledge required to strengthen democratic resilience.
The second debate addressed the role of local self-government in supporting reforms and preparing the country for EU membership. Participants exchanged views on governance, administrative capacity and the contribution of municipalities and regions to the accession process.
Among the speakers, Radim Sršeň, Mayor of Dolní Studénky and member of the Committee of the Regions, argued that EU rural development principles should increasingly guide policies in accession countries. He highlighted the importance of applying a holistic approach to rural development, strengthening peer-to-peer cooperation between local authorities, and supporting capacity-building initiatives such as twinning programmes between municipalities in the EU and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The meeting also featured the participation of Igor Andrović, Prefect of the Virovitica-Podravina County, alongside representatives of local and regional authorities from Bosnia and Herzegovina and EU Member States.
Next steps
Looking ahead, Borboly proposed that the next meeting of the Working Group, scheduled for October in Travnik, focus on EU funding instruments under the future 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Global Europe instrument, with particular attention to their implications for local and regional authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. "This is the right moment. The MFF negotiations will be well advanced by then, and local authorities on both sides need to understand what is coming and how to prepare," Borboly concluded.