The EU, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Green Agenda: The Role of the EU Delegation in Engaging in Bilateral Relations

The European Union (EU) is expected to be an influential actor in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) as the country is on its path towards EU accession: ‘Nowhere is the power of the EU, as an actor standing independently and above its member states, felt more powerfully than in the Western Balkans’ (Hasić, Džananović, & Ramić Mesihović, 2020, p. 417). As a ‘(potential) candidate country’ and signatory of the Sofia Declaration on the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans, BiH is expected to closely align with EU climate and energy targets. Yet, BiH is far from reaching the EU’s accession targets (in these sectors and in others), raising questions about domestic developments in BiH and the EU’s capacity to deliver on the promise of accession. Against this background, the EU Delegation in Sarajevo has to find ways of engaging constructively, representing ambitious EU targets (i.e. demands from Brussels), while avoiding a patronizing mode of interaction towards BiH stakeholders. Focusing on outreach related to the Green Agenda more specifically, this paper puts perceptions on the EU Delegation’s role and its relations with BiH actors in Sarajevo at the centre. Drawing on interviews with BiH and EU Member State actors in Sarajevo, the paper explores the EU’s enlargement policy by focusing on the multiplicity of interactions between the EU Delegation and its BiH counterparts. The findings suggests that the Union’s perception in BiH hangs precariously on EU diplomats’ ability to balance local expectations with EU headquarters’ demands.