EU Delegation Head column: The Growth Plan - A plan that gets Bosnia and Herzegovina moving

By Luigi Soreca:

"When Marta Kos, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, spoke before the BiH Parliamentary Assembly in September, she promised to climb Mt Maglić when Bosnia and Herzegovina joins the EU. This remains an ambitious goal, with many potential hurdles. Just this week for example, an opportunity was missed for the Council of Ministers to fulfil steps that would lead towards the first Intergovernmental Conference with the EU.

But this week we also saw a major step forward: the European Commission approved the Reform Agenda adopted by the BiH Council of Ministers on 30 September, unlocking potential investment of up to €976.6 million in exchange for reforms under the EU’s Growth Plan for the Western Balkans.

Now that the Reform Agenda is approved, it is publicly available on the European Commission’s website, and I would encourage anyone who is interested to take a look at it, to know more about the process and the list of reforms;. It is admittedly a complex and technical document spanning 161 pages. At its core however it is a simple proposition to this country’s authorities – make changes that benefit citizens, and we will provide you with financial support to realise those changes.

The Reform Agenda is based on four key areas, each of which promises to be transformational for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The first is green and digital transition. If you’re hoping for faster and more secure broadband in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I have good news. If the relevant authorities fulfil steps to facilitate the roll out of 5G technology and secure broadband, the EU will provide financial support that will expedite the process. We will also provide support for the digitalisation of public services that will cut down on times waiting in administrative offices and ensure easier accessibility to information and services. Reforms for the decarbonisation that everyone knows is essential to prevent catastrophic global warming will among other things be accompanied by support for a just transition in coal regions.

The second policy area is private sector development and business environment, including systems to financially support innovative start-ups, and small and medium sized enterprises, simplifying processes to facilitate an enabling business climate, and the deployment of intelligent transport systems.

The third policy area focuses on education, the labour market and the social protection system. Reforms and EU financial support are aimed to increase the share of children enrolled in pre-school, increase the quality of primary, secondary and tertiary education by aligning curricula with the skills needed to succeed in future, and improve the link between vocational education and the private sector. We will support efforts to expand the number of schools with access to the internet. The Reform Agenda also aims to increase access to good jobs across the country, including through the Youth Guarantee - a commitment to fight youth unemployment and ensure smoother transitions from education to work.

The fourth area covers what we call the ‘fundamentals’ – rule of law, the functioning of the judiciary and democratic institutions, the fight against corruption and organised crime and fundamental rights. These are some of the most important reforms on Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU path, which will have some of the most lasting impact.

I’ve listed the many benefits that the Reform Agenda will bring, but at this point cynics may begin to ask, “Where’s the catch?”. Well, the big risk is that insufficient political will prevent reform steps from being fulfilled. Each completed reform step has a corresponding amount of investment associated with it. If there are no reform steps, BiH will not receive money from its €976.6 million allocation under the Growth Plan.

Nonetheless, it is important to recall that the Reform Agenda contains reforms that BiH’s authorities have themselves decided are important for the future of the whole country.

We rely on the business community, civil society organisations, academia and the general public to maintain a strong interest in these reforms and hold their democratically elected representatives accountable to ensure that this opportunity is not missed.

As snow begins to fall, we are reminded that over four decades ago, within the space of only a few years and with tight deadlines, fantastic winter sports facilities were built on Bjelasnica, Igman, Jahorina and Trebevic leading to one of the most memorable Winter Olympic Games in 1984. The onset of winter however also brings to BiH’s cities some of the most polluted air in Europe – a reminder of the urgent need for decarbonisation and reforms to improve the environment.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is capable of great things when there is the will to do them. It is also a country that is tragically all too prone to stalling and blockades. The Growth Plan is a plan to get BiH moving. As Bijelo Dugme sang, ‘Let’s Go to the Mountains!’.