The European Commission has recommended granting Bosnia and Herzegovina membership candidate status under the same model as in Ukraine's case, and the decision is due to the new geostrategic situation in Europe, Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi has said.

Speaking for Banja Luka-based Nezavisne Novine daily of Thursday, he said the status was not tied to certain conditions that had yet to be met.

“This formula has also been applied for Ukraine, which means that we recommend to the Council of the EU to grant BiH candidate status and then to see if reforms have been carried out,” he was quoted as saying.

We are all at a geopolitical crossroads and Europe must make an offer for BiH now so that the country steps up its part of the job on the European journey, he added.

The Council is expected to consider the recommendation in December. Varhelyi said in Brussels yesterday that he expected BiH to form a new parliament by then, based on the results of a 2 October election, as well as to have two bills “on the table”, on conflict of interest and on the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council.

The BiH parliament adopted a public procurement law earlier this year, also required by the EU, which finds that law and a law on conflict of interest crucial for preventing corruption in the public sector.

“We want BiH to get a new start because we need a new start. The election in BiH was held and I hope it will give new impetus to the politicians in the country to quickly form institutions and to start implementing the reforms we proposed as soon as possible. If that happens, things can change very quickly,” Varhelyi told Nezavisne Novine.

He said the key reforms regarded the judiciary, fighting organised crime and corruption, managing illegal migration, and elections. “That’s a very urgent reform,” he said.