BiH and EU sign Frontex Status Agreement

This agreement allows for the deployment of Frontex teams in Bosnia and Herzegovina with the aim of more effectively managing migration, combating illegal border crossings, and strengthening border security.

In his address, Soreca said that the European Council decided on 21 March 2024 to open accession negotiations with BiH once the required steps are fulfilled, and that one of those steps involves “progressing on border management and migration management capacity”.

"Signing this Agreement today is a clear response to this requirement and marks a milestone in the journey of Bosnia and Herzegovina towards European integration. Today’s step has a special significance because it comes at a time where Bosnia and Herzegovina has plunged into a deep political crisis that, regrettably, has all but stopped progress on EU integration", he said.

Soreca explained that negotiating this agreement required "first engagement at the political level to get the negotiation started; second it required the BiH negotiation team (comprising of twelve members representing nine different institutions from all levels of government) to see through their differences and to find consensus on compromise solutions during extensive negotiations with the Commission; and third it required the BiH Council of Ministers and Presidency to endorse the results of the negotiation and greenlight the signature of the Agreement, during politically challenging times".

"This once again demonstrates that Bosnia and Herzegovina, in spite of all its complexities, has the capacity to move forward when there is sufficient political will to do so", Soreca said.