Austrian Justice Minister Alma Zadic said Tuesday on her official Twitter account that candidate status for Bosnia and Herzegovina is an important step for a strong and united Europe. 

“Bosnia and Herzegovina receives the EU candidate status. This is an important step for a strong and united Europe. Austria has always worked to ensure that the EU expansion plans do not forget about the Western Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina can count on Austria to implement the necessary reforms. With our close cooperation in the field of justice, we continue to support the country on its way to the EU with all our strength,” Minister Zadic said.

Bosnien und Herzegowina erhält den EU-Kandidatenstatus. Das ist ein wichtiger Schritt für ein starkes und geeintes Europa. Österreich hat sich stets dafür eingesetzt, dass bei den EU-Erweiterungsplänen auf den Westbalkan nicht vergessen wird. (1/2)

— Alma Zadic (@Alma_Zadic) December 13, 2022

The EU Council recommended granting EU candidate status to Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is subject to confirmation by the European Council, “on the understanding that the steps specified in the Commission’s recommendation are taken, in order to strengthen the rule of law, the fight against corruption and organised crime, migration management and fundamental rights.”

The document they adopted consists of 35 pages as well as a chapter related to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and in the item point, as previously announced, the Council approved Bosnia’s candidate status for membership in the EU, based on the recommendation of the European Commission from October this year.

The EU Council also welcomed the holding of general elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina on 2 October 2022, which were, according to the preliminary findings and conclusions of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission, “overall competitive and well organised but marked by mistrust in public institutions and ethnically divisive rhetoric.”