News Analysis: Pro-EU reform plan easy to adopt, hard to implement in BiH

European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini can be satisfied with the adoption of a reform plan over EU integration by parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on Monday, but the implementation will be a difficult process.

After BiH adopted the plan, the European Commission can finally endorse the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with BiH, signed seven years ago in 2008.

The adoption had been foreseen. Leaders from 14 parties in BiH already accepted the statement for pro-EU reform by Presidency of BiH, which had been instructed by Germany and Britain. The two European countries had introduced a new approach in November, 2014, for BiH to join the EU.

The written statement by Presidency of BiH was just the "domestic" version of guidelines from Germany-Britain, which put focus on economic and social reforms rather than the constitutional one.

The constitutional reform requirements, considered for years crucial for BiH's path to the EU, proved too difficult for BiH due to disagreements among parties.

Anyhow, the reform plan, adopted unanimously by BiH parliament, includes three points: adopting the mechanism of coordination between all levels of governments in BiH in issues related to reforms necessary for process of integration into EU; concrete measures for further building of market economy, strengthening rule of law, process of reconciliation and strengthening administrative capabilities; a later phase in which BiH will change its constitution to finally apply a decision by the European Court of Human Rights.

In the last years after the bloody war in 1990s, many times political leaders had made commitment for reforms. All major political parties highlighted joining the EU as their final goals. However, introducing meaningful reforms proved to be very difficult.

Economic and social reforms imply the privatization of the biggest public companies and, very likely, dismissal of large number of employees in huge public sectors in BiH. However, reduction of public sector is highly unpopular and none of the parties is willing to do.

Meanwhile, the requirement for a more functional system means constitutional reforms.

The main parties, which form majority on the state level and entity level in the Federation of BiH, do not have same agenda. Parties from three ethnic groups, namely Bosniaks, Croats sand Serbs, have totally opposite stance on many issues, including constitutional reforms.

Although all parties publicly support the EU integration, the implementation of any meaningful reforms will be hard to achieve. Endit