The European Union and Bosnia and Herzegovina have strengthened their cooperation in the area of migration and border management through the signing of a new Status Agreement between the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) and the authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This agreement allows Frontex to carry out joint operations with Bosnia and Herzegovina and to deploy its standing corps along the entire national border, including borders with neighbouring non-EU countries, as well as at border crossings, including airports.
Enhancing cooperation in border management is a key element of the EU's engagement with Western Balkan partners, aimed at preventing irregular border crossings and improving the security of the region. Joint efforts have led to a significant decrease in the number of irregular border crossings – from 145,600 in 2022 to 21,520 in 2024. This downward trend has continued into 2025, with a further 58 percent reduction in the first four months of the year.
This agreement is part of the implementation of the EU Action Plan for the Western Balkans adopted in December 2022. Its implementation continues in close cooperation with Western Balkan partners and is already showing positive results – reducing migration pressure and secondary movements along the Balkan route.
The agreement was signed by the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, and the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Borjana Krišto.
On this occasion, Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos also commented, stating that this step demonstrates that “cooperation on shared challenges brings us closer together, while also enhancing collective security.”
What follows after the signing of this agreement?
The Status Agreement with Frontex will enter into force once it is approved by the European Parliament and the Council, as well as after national ratification in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agreement will be applied provisionally from the moment of signing.
Frontex has been providing advisory support to Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2009, based on a Working Arrangement between Frontex and the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Officers from Frontex’s standing corps are currently deployed at Sarajevo Airport under the framework of that 2009 agreement.
Today’s Status Agreement is the sixth concluded under Frontex’s reinforced mandate from 2019. The first was signed with Moldova in March 2022, the second with North Macedonia in October 2022, followed by Montenegro in May 2023, Albania in September 2023, and Serbia in June 2024.
Individual operations conducted under this agreement are negotiated directly between Frontex and the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Any deployment of Frontex outside EU territory requires a request from the host country and the conclusion of an operational plan between the agency and the national partner.
Frontex currently has around 500 officers in the Western Balkans and carries out joint operations in Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. The EU supports its Western Balkan partners through training, the deployment of border officers, and the provision of equipment via the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA), in coordination with bilateral actions of EU member states and in line with the needs identified by the Western Balkan authorities.
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