European Commission proposes EU candidate status for Bosnia-Herzegovina

Brussels, Oct 13 The European Commission has recommended that the member states of the European Union (EU) give Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status under the condition of further reforms.

Oliver Varhelyi, European commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, presented the Commission's Enlargement Package for 2022 at the European Parliament, Xinhua news agency reported.

Bosnia and Herzegovina submitted its application to join the EU in February 2016. In May 2019, the Commission adopted its opinion on the application. It identified 14 key legislative and institutional priorities for the country to fulfil.

These covered the fields of democracy and functionality, the rule of law, fundamental rights, and public administration reforms.

The case of other Western Balkan countries and Turkey was also reviewed by Varhelyi.

"The enlargement policy of the European Union is a geostrategic investment in our European continent's peace, stability, security and socio-economic growth," he said.