Bosnia approves the reform program for the EU growth plan
Sarajevo (ANSA) – The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) today adopted the reform program requested by the EU in order to access the funds of the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans developed by the European Commission to support the six candidate countries in the region. Two Serbian ministers who had previously opposed it, today voted in favor of this reform program.
September 30 was the deadline set by Brussels for BiH to present the plan and obtain a tranche of aid amounting to 108 million euros. Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Albania, and Kosovo have already submitted their plans and are receiving the corresponding funds. The document from the Sarajevo government will now need to be reviewed and approved by the EU commission.
“I am very happy. Bosnia and Herzegovina has shown the unity it so desperately needed. We have a reform program!” said the Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos. “Together – she added – we can achieve goals such as better roads, cheaper energy, faster internet, zero fees for financial transactions, and roaming.”
In recent days, Kos had visited Sarajevo to encourage local leadership to act quickly in adopting the reform program. The Growth Plan to support the six candidate countries in the Western Balkans provides for a total allocation of six billion euros, to be granted on the condition of the implementation of specific reform programs.
