Workshop on the EU Accession Process Held in the CBBH

A workshop on the EU accession process was held in the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina (CBBH), which has marked the beginning of bilateral cooperation between the CBBH and the Croatian National Bank (HNB) within the IPA Regional Capacity Building Programme for Central Banks of the Western Balkans, with the aim of integration into the European System of Central Banks (ESCB).

The workshop, in the form of structured dialogue, was attended by representatives of Deutsche Bundesbank Centre for International Dialogue Jenny Kilp and Peter Spicka, Vice Governor of the HNB, Michael Faulend and experts from the HNB European Relations Directorate.

In the introductory speech, Governor of the CBBH, Jasmina Selimović, Ph.D., stressed that direct cooperation and transfer of experience of the HNB are very significant for adequate institutional preparations of the CBBH for the beginning of negotiations and the EU integration process.

„I believe that the best way for achieving convergence towards the EU standards is through thorough preparations for accession, continuous learning and exchange of experiences. I sincerely believe in the importance of institutional dialogue and cooperation, and I wish to stress that the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina is fully committed to this goal," said Governor Selimović, adding that the path to the European integration is the only right way and that the CBBH, as the most important financial institution in the country, has one of the key roles in the process.

Through the exchange of experience and expertise, the workshop additionally strengthened the partnership between the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian National Bank, with the support of the Deutsche Bundesbank as one of the European central banks engaged in the EU programmes, mainly for candidate countries and potential candidates for the EU. This gathering of high level representatives enabled deeper understanding and setting of new foundations for future cooperation on the path to the European integration.