The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA), organised a two-day workshop on EU Accession Negotiations: Methodology and Skills in Sarajevo on 24 and 25 September 2026, through its Luxembourg Technical Assistance Programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The workshop brought together representatives of the Directorate for European Integration (DEI) and institutions at different levels of government that are expected to contribute to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s future EU accession negotiations. EIPA delivered the training with the support of the Luxembourg Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
With Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession process moving towards the preparation of future negotiations, the workshop focused on strengthening participants’ understanding of the EU enlargement methodology and the practical procedures involved in accession negotiations.
Over two days, participants explored the main stages and instruments of the accession process, including the screening of the EU acquis, negotiation clusters, opening and closing benchmarks, monitoring and reporting mechanisms, and the role of the European Commission and EU Member States throughout the process. Sessions also addressed the content and outcomes of accession negotiations, including transitional arrangements, implementation commitments and the Accession Treaty.
The programme also placed emphasis on the practical skills needed to engage effectively in an accession context. Participants discussed communication, advocacy, persuasion and interest representation, with a focus on interactions with the European Commission, EU Member States and other stakeholders.
A practical negotiation exercise on the second day allowed participants to apply the knowledge and skills developed during the workshop to a simulated accession-related scenario, followed by a joint debriefing and discussion of lessons learned.
The workshop responds to a strategic need for Bosnia and Herzegovina as attention increasingly turns from general preparation for EU membership towards the practical steps required to prepare for accession negotiations. Through the Luxembourg Technical Assistance Programme, EIPA is supporting public officials in developing the knowledge and skills needed to contribute effectively to the country’s European integration process.
The workshop was delivered by Juan Diego Ramírez-Cárdenas Díaz, Senior Legal Expert at EIPA Luxembourg – European Centre for Judges and Lawyers, and Dragan Tilev, Adviser to the President of North Macedonia on EU Affairs and Accession Strategy.
