Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina in Brussels on Wednesday signed three agreements which will enable normal movement of people and goods after Croatia joins the European Union on 1 July.
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusić and Chairman of the Bosnian Council of Ministers Vjekoslav Bevanda signed an agreement on border crossings and an agreement on cross-border transport, while the joint declaration on the interpretation and application of Article 11 of the agreement on free transit through Croatia's territory from the port of Ploče and through Bosnia's territory in Neum was signed by Pusić and Bosnian Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdžija.
Pusić said that both countries had sought agreements that would make life of their citizens easier. In regard to Croatia’s EU entry, she said that “we will not leave the region, it remains one of our priorities,” adding that the European path was the only viable option for all the countries in the region.
Bevanda said the signed agreements enabled the continuation of normal life and the economy in Bosnia. “A successful agreement, no matter how long it took to reach it, is a proof that all the parties involved are committed to the European path,” he added.
Lagumdžija expressed satisfaction with the fact that the European Union and Croatia made a concession to Bosnia by changing their regulations so that Bosnia could export its products through the port of Ploče. “This is the second time in EU history that European legislation is being amended to accommodate a non-member country,” Lagumdžija pointed out.
EU Enlargement Commissioner Štefan Füle said that the European Union’s task was to create bigger and tighter ties with the neighbourhood. He described Croatia’s accession as the most demanding one in terms of the complexity of the process. He thanked Croatia for its flexibility and commitment to the process, underlining that the EU would continue to work on moving its border towards the Western Balkans and encourage the countries in the region along their European path. “I am convinced that Croatia, the 28th member of the Union, will assist Bosnia and Herzegovina through both its governmental and non-governmental institutions and organizations,” Füle said.
The agreements foresee two international border crossings: Metković 2-Bijača in the south and Gradiška in the north, which will be equipped for sanitary and veterinary inspections and through which plant and animal life can be transported.
The agreement on cross-border transport will facilitate border crossings for citizens of both countries living within five kilometres on either side of the border, with the possibility of this parameter spreading to up to 30 kilometres at a later date.
Goods in sealed trucks will be transported from one part of Croatia to another through the Neum Corridor. Bosnia will be able to export all products through the port of Ploče, but only those goods that are allowed to enter the EU will be imported in BiH through Ploče.