The European Union's 28 member states on Tuesday accepted Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership application and ordered the bloc's executive to prepare an assessment of the Balkan country's readiness to join the bloc.

The European Commission will now determine whether Bosnia meets criteria to become a candidate country, a process that could take a year. The Commission will outline what conditions Bosnia would need to meet before reaching full membership, which is likely to be a drawn-out and complicated process for Sarajevo.

Bosnia submitted the application in February.

A senior Slovak foreign ministry official, Ivan Korcok, whose country holds the rotating EU presidency, said "this is a good day for Bosnia, but for us as well. We are showing that the enlargement strategy and approach to the aspiring countries works."

The Commission will send a questionnaire asking for answers to thousands of queries on the country's suitability to join the EU. It will assess Bosnia's economy, compliance with human rights and the rule of law and other obligations of a member state.

Bosnia's membership process is particularly complicated given the legacy of the 1990s war during the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

The Dayton accords that ended the war divided the country into two autonomous zones, one controlled by Bosniaks and Croats and another by Serbs. Each ethnic group is also granted a seat on the country's tripartite presidency.

The governance structure makes passing reforms and getting anything done complicated and slow, which in turn has hampered economic growth.

Over the last 14 months, Bosnia has been working to pass reforms to improve the country's economic prospects. The EU member states said Bosnia should maintain its reform agenda, including "socio-economic reforms, reforms in the area of rule of law and public administration."

Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic said the acceptance of the country's application constituted a "historic moment for the European path and European future of Bosnia-Herzegovina."

"This is really some of the most positive news for Bosnia-Herzegovina ... especially for young people," he said.

cw/jil (AP, Reuters) </s> BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union will examine whether Bosnia has what it takes to become a member, continuing with enlargement just months after Britain decided to leave.

EU nations on Tuesday ordered the European Commission to establish whether Bosnia has earned candidate status, a process that could take a year.

A senior Slovak foreign ministry official, Ivan Korcok, says "this is a good day for Bosnia, but for us as well. We are showing that the enlargement strategy and approach to the aspiring countries works."

The Commission will now send a questionnaire to Bosnia seeking thousands of answers about its suitability to join.

It will assess Bosnia's economy, the state of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and it ability to respect the obligations of membership. </s> BRUSSELS, Sept 20 (Reuters) - The European Union's 28 member states on Tuesday accepted Bosnia's membership application, taking a step forward in what is certain to be a long process that Sarajevo hopes will eventually give it a place in the bloc.

The EU said Bosnia, which applied to join in February, had made progress on necessary reforms, so it had accepted the application. It asked the European Commission, the EU's executive, for an assessment of Sarajevo's readiness.

In doing so, Brussels will lay out for Sarajevo what conditions remain to be met before it is granted membership. There is no time limit for the process.

While it accepted the application, the EU states called on Bosnia to continue "socio-economic reforms (and) reforms in the area of rule of law and public administration." They asked the Commission to monitor the implementation of a 2009 European Court of Human Rights ruling that ordered Bosnia to allow ethnic minorities, such as Jews and Roma, to run for high office.

Bosnia has yet to implement that ruling. Only Serbs, Bosniaks and Croats can run for high office, and the issue continues to be an obstacle to Bosnia's EU plans.

But the issue is complicated. A country of 3.5 million people, Bosnia is still split along ethnic lines, after a war in the 1990s that killed some 100,000 people during the breakup of Yugoslavia. The Dayton peace accords that ended the war in 1995 gave Bosnia three governments.

Two are autonomous entities, one representing Bosniaks and Croats, the second representing Bosnian Serbs. The third is a central government with a three-member presidency consisting of one Serb, one Bosniak and one Croat; hence the limit on who can run for office.

Bosnia has, however, made progress on two other key conditions: setting up a body to deal with the EU and adjusting a 2008 agreement with Croatia after the neighbouring ex-Yugoslav republic became an EU member in 2013, the EU said.

"Today is really a historic moment for the European path and European future of Bosnia-Herzegovina," said Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic. "This is really some of the most positive news for Bosnia-Herzegovina ... especially for young people." (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, additional reporting by Daria Sito-Sucic in Sarajevo, editing by Larry King) </s> The European Union said Tuesday it will examine whether Bosnia has what it takes to become a member as the bloc continues with plans to expand just months after Britain decided to leave.

EU nations ordered the European Commission to establish whether Bosnia has earned candidate status, a process that could take a year.

A senior Slovak foreign ministry official, Ivan Korcok, said "this is a good day for Bosnia, but for us as well. We are showing that the enlargement strategy and approach to the aspiring countries works."

The Commission will now send a questionnaire to Bosnia seeking thousands of answers about its suitability to join.

It will assess Bosnia's economy, the state of democracy in the country, its adherence to the rule of law and human rights, and its ability to respect the obligations of membership.

"It is truly a historic moment" for Bosnia, Prime Minister Denis Zvizdic said, adding it was "particularly good news for the youth."

Bosnia has a brain drain problem as more than half of its young people dream of a better life in EU countries. To stop them from leaving, Bosnia's leaders have been working hard in the past 14 months on reforms that would create jobs and improve the standard of living.

"It is clear that these reforms are starting to show results," the EU envoy to Bosnia, Lars-Gunnar Wigemark, said Monday. "We have seen the reduction of the level of unemployment and an increased growth," he said.

Bosnia's complex political system and the on-going quarrels between its Bosniaks, Serbs and Croats have prevented the country from moving faster and catching up with neighbouring countries on the EU path.

The country's economy was completely devastated by the 1992-95 war that took over 100,000 lives and turned nearly half of the population into refugees. </s> Report informs referring to the RIA Novosti, the Council of the EU, representing the member states of the European Union, last week received a formal notice from Switzerland on withdrawal filed application for membership in the institutions on the basis of which the European Union has been established.

Notably, in 1992, Switzerland has applied to join the EU. However, in the same year in a referendum the Swiss voted against joining the European Economic Area and the integration process has stopped. </s> TIRANA (Reuters) - Kosovo on Wednesday raised customs tariffs on Serbian and Bosnian goods from 10 to 100 percent after Serbia blocked its former province from joining Interpol, the international police organization.

Its retaliation, which was criticized by the European Union, also required authorities to remove or prevent from entering any goods that did not address Kosovo by its constitutional name, Republic of Kosovo, which Serbia and Bosnia do not recognize.

“This will halt any trade between Serbia and Kosovo,” Serbia’s Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic said.

President Aleksandar Vucic called a meeting of Serbia’s National Security Council to review the tariffs.

Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia - along with Albania, Montenegro and Moldova - are part of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) set up to help ex-communist states harmonize their economic and legal systems with EU demands.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said Kosovo’s move was a clear violation of CEFTA and of the spirit of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo.

“The Kosovo government has to immediately revoke these decisions,” Mogherini said in a statement.

Bosnia’s Foreign Trade and Economic Relations Minister Mirko Sarovic said: “This is the biggest blow to the regional free trade zone.”

According to official figures, Serbia’s exports to Kosovo amounted to 440 million euros ($500 million), while imports amounted to 21 million euros. Bosnia’s exports to Kosovo reached 80 million euros last year.

Two weeks ago Kosovo imposed a 10 percent import tax on goods coming from Serbia and Bosnia. The European Union has urged Pristina to reverse that decision.

Kosovo’s mostly ethnic Albanian population declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after a NATO bombing campaign to end the killing of Albanian civilians by Serb forces during a two-year insurgency.

It is now recognized by more than 110 nations but not by Serbia, Russia or five EU states. Belgrade and Moscow have blocked Kosovo from joining the United Nations.

In 2013 both countries agreed to an EU-sponsored dialogue to resolve outstanding issues, but little progress has been made.

Kosovo blamed a campaign by Serbia for its failure to join Interpol and said Serbia was against normalizing relations, key for both countries if they are to join the European Union. Bosnia also voted against Kosovo’s membership.

“The government has decided to impose a tax of 100 percent on imported goods coming from Serbia and Bosnia,” Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj said. </s> Turkey formally applied to become a member of the European Union in 1987 and accession talks began in 2005 (AFP Photo/Thierry Charlier)

Strasbourg (France) (AFP) - The European Parliament on Thursday voted to freeze membership talks with Turkey over its "disproportionate" post-coup crackdown, further escalating tensions with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey immediately branded the non-binding vote "insignificant", while Erdogan had already said in his latest broadside against the European Union that the result was worthless.

Most EU states meanwhile want to keep the Turkey talks on track, but the vote by a large majority of MEPs will only add to the bad blood in the wake of the July 15 failed putsch.

Lawmakers voting in Strasbourg, France, said the parliament "strongly condemns the disproportionate repressive measures taken in Turkey since the failed military coup attempt".

They said they remained "committed to keeping Turkey anchored to the EU" but said that parliament "calls on the Commission and the Member States, however, to initiate a temporary freeze of the ongoing accession negotiations with Turkey."

The motion was approved by 479 votes to 37, with 107 abstentions.

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim hit out at the EU for a "lack of vision".

"It is insignificant from our aspect," he said in a televised speech.

"The EU should understand and decide whether it wants to shape its future vision with or without Turkey".

Turkish EU Affairs Minister Omer Celik said the vote was "null and void" and accused the European Parliament of jumping on the bandwagon of "far-right" parties.

"Such a resolution... only serves the objectives of the far right, Islamophobia and xenophobia," he told a news conference.

The decision hit the embattled Turkish lira -- boosted by a rate hike earlier in the day -- to leave the currency losing 1.50 percent against the dollar on the day.

A furious Erdogan said on Wednesday that "this vote has no value at all" and accused Europe of taking the side of "terror organisations".

"It is not possible for me to even digest the message that they want to deliver," he said.

Europe's message has however been increasingly clear about its concerns over rights and democracy in Turkey, especially over the coup crackdown that has seen almost 37,000 arrested.

Turkey formally applied to become an EU member in 1987 and accession talks only began in 2005, even though Ankara's aspirations to become part of the bloc dates back to the 1960s.

While the vote will have no concrete effect as all EU member states except Austria so far want to keep the accession process going, it is yet another blow to relations that seemed to be improving before the July crisis.

Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian premier who now leads the Liberal group in the EU parliament, called on the European Commission to "implement the recommendation as soon as possible".

Verhofstadt dialled up the rhetoric earlier this week when he accused Erdogan, US President-elect Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin of being part of a "ring of autocrats" trying to harm the EU.

Turkey and the EU had agreed to speed up the long-stalled membership talks after both sides reached a deal in March to curb migrant flows towards the European Union.

Brussels agreed to give visa free travel for Turks once it carried out key reforms and give more aid to Turkey, in exchange for Ankara cutting the number of refugees to the Greek islands.

But the process has stalled after the failed bid by a rogue group in the army to bring down the Turkish government -- making the call for a freeze largely symbolic.

The mass arrests and job dismissals as well as measures against Turkish media in the ensuing crackdown triggered a sharp reaction from EU politicians and rights watchdogs. </s> Turkey has got "tired" of its EU membership process and it cannot request for the bloc's membership indefinitely, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, Anadolu reported.

“We cannot continuously ask the EU ‘please take us, too’ now,” Erdogan said at a joint press conference with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Turkey applied for membership in the European Economic Community, a precursor to the EU, in 1987. </s> Kosovo has raised customs tariffs on Serbian and Bosnian goods from 10 to 100 per cent after Serbia blocked its former province from joining Interpol.

Its retaliation, criticised by the European Union, also requires authorities to remove or prevent from entering any goods that do not address Kosovo by its constitutional name, Republic of Kosovo, which Serbia and Bosnia do not recognise.

"This will halt any trade between Serbia and Kosovo," Serbia's Trade Minister Rasim Ljajic said.

President Aleksandar Vucic called a meeting of Serbia's National Security Council to review the tariffs.

Bosnia, Kosovo and Serbia - along with Albania, Montenegro and Moldova - are part of the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) set up to help ex-communist states harmonise their economic and legal systems with EU demands.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said Kosovo's move was a clear violation of CEFTA and of the spirit of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Union and Kosovo.

"The Kosovo government has to immediately revoke these decisions," Mogherini said.

According to official figures, Serbia's exports to Kosovo amounted to 440 million euros ($A690 million), while imports amounted to 21 million euros. Bosnia's exports to Kosovo reached 80 million euros last year.

Two weeks ago, Kosovo imposed a 10 per cent import tax on goods coming from Serbia and Bosnia. The European Union has urged Pristina to reverse that decision.

Kosovo's mostly ethnic Albanian population declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a decade after a NATO bombing campaign to end the killing of Albanian civilians by Serb forces during a two-year insurgency.

It is now recognised by more than 110 nations but not by Serbia, Russia or five EU states. Belgrade and Moscow have blocked Kosovo from joining the United Nations.

In 2013, both countries agreed to an EU-sponsored dialogue to resolve outstanding issues, but little progress has been made.

Kosovo blamed a campaign by Serbia for its failure to join Interpol and said Serbia was against normalising relations, key for both countries if they are to join the European Union.
The European Union's 28 member states formally accept Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership application. The European Commission (EC) will now determine whether Bosnia meets the criteria to join the union, a process that is expected to take a year.