Programi Evropske zajednice za Bosnu i Hercegovinu
European Community Programmes for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Summary/Abstract: This article aims to present the European Community funds used by Bosnia and Herzegovina from its independence in 1991, as well as funds that are currently at its disposal. Strong commitment of B&H for a membership in the European Union is reason that the most significant funding opportunities are presented here, overviewing their main features, but focusing primarily on the new instruments of assistance under the financial framework 2007. – 2013. Although the European Union is the single largest donor to B&H and that it has, so far, distributed cca 3 billion Euros, the fact that there is still significant unused amount of funds is astonishing. Causes of poor absorption of European funds can be found in poor macroeconomic management – especially in the absence of institutions for absorbing and redirecting the funds, as well as ignorance and inability of existing institutions – in the absence of clear rules and appropriate legislative framework, but also too complicated applying procedure and assignment of the funds of concrete program. The practice of „disappearing“ unused funds of one country is now changed so the European Union now redirects overall unused resources of a country under the new Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) and makes it available to other countries. It should be seen as a warning sign for our country to understand the importance of using available funds for implementing the necessary economic, political and institutional reforms. Usage of European funds, especially in present situation when domestic and foreign sources of capital are drying up, can greatly contribute to the development of the private sector, encourage reform in the public sector, and lead our country faster toward the European Union.

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