The Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) has urged Bosnia and Herzegovina to intensify its efforts in implementing anti-corruption measures. This call to action was made following a report released on Friday, which indicates that the country has made only limited progress in adopting recommendations aimed at curbing corruption.
According to the report, Bosnia and Herzegovina has successfully implemented a mere two out of 25 recommendations from GRECO’s Fifth Evaluation Round. While 15 recommendations were partially addressed, eight remain completely unimplemented. Key areas of concern include inadequate integrity policies for top executive functions, the absence of a comprehensive national anti-corruption strategy, and deficiencies in conflict-of-interest regulations. The report also highlights a lack of transparency in legislative processes and the absence of systematic integrity checks for senior government officials.
This scrutiny by GRECO comes at a sensitive moment for Bosnia and Herzegovina as it navigates its aspirations for European Union membership. In March 2024, the EU conditionally approved the initiation of accession negotiations, which are contingent upon substantial reforms, including those targeting corruption. The European Commission’s 2022 enlargement report has already pointed out corruption as a critical issue, urging for more robust enforcement measures.
Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index shows that public trust in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s institutions continues to dwindle, influenced by a perception of increasing corruption. This development places additional pressure on Bosnia and Herzegovina to fulfill its commitments, or else it may face continued international scrutiny and possible setbacks in its EU integration efforts.
The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a deadline until May 31, 2026, to provide additional updates on the progress made regarding these outstanding recommendations. Failure to address these may affect their EU accession process negatively, highlighting the critical need for accelerated reform initiatives. More details on this developing situation can be found on JURIST.