The European Union’s recent policy moves are expected to have an indirect but notable impact on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which, as an EU candidate country, is obliged to gradually align its foreign and energy policies with those of the bloc.
Last week, EU member states formally adopted the 19th package of sanctions against Russia in response to its continued aggression in Ukraine. Among the newly introduced measures is a ban on importing Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) — one of the most far-reaching energy sanctions implemented to date. Although the decision does not directly apply to BiH, it carries important consequences for the country’s efforts to diversify its natural gas supply sources.
A central component of BiH’s diversification strategy is the Southern Gas Interconnection project, designed to transport gas from the LNG terminal on the Croatian island of Krk to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The planned pipeline will cross into the country near Posušje and then divide into two branches — one leading toward Mostar and another running through Tomislavgrad and Kupres toward central Bosnia.
The new sanctions package was unanimously approved by all 27 EU member states after Slovakia withdrew its earlier objections. The LNG import ban will be implemented in two phases: short-term contracts will be terminated within six months, while long-term contracts will expire by January 1, 2027 — one year earlier than initially proposed by the European Commission in its plan to reduce dependence on Russian fossil fuels.
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, these developments highlight the growing importance of aligning with the EU’s energy security goals. The timely completion of the Southern Gas Interconnection will be essential to lowering reliance on a single gas supplier and ensuring stable, diversified energy supplies as Europe’s energy framework continues to evolve.