EU Alignment

The signing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) between the European Union and Bosnia & Herzegovina formally launched BiH’s accession to the EU. Although this has allowed tariff-free access of BiH products to the EU market, technical barriers have impeded substantial exports.

Technical barriers mean that a BiH company must demonstrate compliance of its products with the appropriate legally binding regulations in the country of destination. A company demonstrates compliance by obtaining certification for an EU-required standard. For FIRMA-supported companies, this most often means the CE mark. However, frequently other standards and certificates must also be obtained if demanded by EU buyers and consumers.

There is a range of standards and certificates which are often difficult for FIRMA-supported companies to identify in the plethora of EU Directives, and which are particular to each individual product. BiH companies face additional difficulties as certain EU-recognized certificates and standards cannot be issued in BiH. Although progress is being made in establishing the complex quality infrastructure system demanded by the EU, substantial investment and efforts are still required by BH authorities. Firms face no other alternative than to obtain standards through foreign consulting companies and certification bodies, at increased costs.

FIRMA’s approach to supporting EU Alignment is multifold and includes increasing awareness for the need for standards through our implementing partners, addressing policy issues, leveraging existing donor and government funds that support implementation of EU standards, and working with BiH standards and certificate consulting companies. Our goal is to increase the number of companies that have obtained standards and in so doing to increase their sales and exports.