The relationship between the European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina has taken a decisive step forward following the recent vote in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE). The vote was on the proposed Status Agreement enabling Frontex to conduct operational activities on Bosnian territory.
The agreement, already signed in June 2025, is designed to allow the European Border and Coast Guard Agency to support border management in third countries once a formal legal basis is established.
A democratic necessity?
The rapporteur for the file, MEP Jaroslav Bžoch (PfE/CZE), has underscored that the agreement is not merely a technical instrument but a democratic necessity. His report stresses that formalising operational cooperation is essential to ensure parliamentary scrutiny, transparency and accountability. Given the sensitivity surrounding border management and the involvement of an EU agency in a non-EU country, these guarantees are portrayed as fundamental to maintaining public trust.
Mr. Bžoch also points out that cooperation with Western Balkan partners is integral to the EU’s broader strategy for regional stability and effective migration governance. The agreement reflects a strategic choice: if irregular migration is shaped by movements outside EU territory, then operational capacity must also extend beyond EU borders. For Bosnia and Herzegovina — a key transit country — the arrangement provides access to resources, expertise and operational support, while embedding cooperation within a formal, jointly supervised legal architecture.
The role of Frontex
At the core of the agreement lies the possibility for Frontex to deploy standing corps officers at selected border crossing points, green borders and airports in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This extends a model already used in Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia and Moldova, and reflects a shift towards a more structured external dimension of EU border management. The Western Balkan route has long been central to irregular migration dynamics, and Brussels sees coordinated operational engagement as a way to stabilise the region while reducing pressure on the EU’s external borders, particularly along the Croatian frontier.
Yet the political implications are nuanced. While Bosnian authorities have welcomed the agreement as evidence of growing trust with the EU, questions inevitably arise about sovereignty, responsibility and the protection of migrants’ rights. For this reason, the LIBE report emphasises the binding nature of fundamental rights obligations. Frontex must ensure that all activities under the agreement respect EU law, international standards, and the code of conduct governing its standing corps. The Parliament also calls for regular reporting on the implementation of the agreement and on Frontex’s broader cooperation with third countries, reflecting a determination to embed oversight from the outset.
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Ratification
The agreement will apply provisionally, allowing authorities to deploy operations before Bosnia and Herzegovina completes its ratification procedures. This fast-track approach reflects both Sarajevo’s political momentum toward EU integration and the Union’s determination to strengthen its border management architecture ahead of another intense migration season. The coming months will test this model in practice: whether joint operations deliver tangible security benefits, whether authorities implement rights safeguards robustly, and whether cooperation supports long-term stability in the Western Balkans.
Still, the agreement raises important questions about the evolving nature of European border governance. Expanding the EU’s operational reach into neighbouring countries may offer better control of migration flows, but it also tests the limits of accountability and transparency. Executive powers exercised by international teams on non-EU territory create complex layers of jurisdiction, responsibility and oversight. The text attempts to pre-empt these challenges through joint evaluations, strict reporting duties and shared investigative procedures, yet real-world implementation will determine whether these safeguards prove adequate.
A new trend for Brussels and beyond
For the EU, the agreement underscores a broader trend: addressing migration not only at the border, but before the border. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, it represents a deepening of its cooperation with the Union – politically, operationally and symbolically – at a time when its European path remains a central national objective. This is more than a border-management accord. It is a test case for how the EU engages with its neighbourhood in shaping the future of mobility, security and fundamental rights. How this agreement functions in practice will influence not only the Western Balkan route, but also the broader debate on the external dimension of EU migration policy.
As the agreement moves towards full implementation, the balance between operational effectiveness and fundamental rights protection will determine whether this cooperation becomes a template for future EU engagement with third countries or an experiment that requires further adjustment.
