International University of Travnik , Travnik , Bosnia and Herzegovina
The rule of law is one of the key criteria that candidate countries must fulfil on their path towards membership in the European Union, and at the same time one of the fundamental values of the Union. In the case of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this issue does not relate solely to the formal adoption of laws and the harmonisation of domestic legislation with the acquis communautaire of the European Union, but also to the actual capacity of institutions to ensure an independent judiciary, effective fight against organised crime and corruption, legal certainty, and the protection of fundamental rights.
This paper is based on the claim that the rule of law in the process of European integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina represents both a legal criterion and a political challenge.
As a legal criterion, it derives from the values of the European Union, the Copenhagen criteria, and the 14 key priorities of the European Commission. As a political challenge, it is reflected in the complex constitutional structure of the state, divided competences, corruption, institutional blockages, and the insufficient implementation of reforms.
The aim of this paper is to highlight the difference between the formal progress of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the process of accession to the European Union and the actual implementation of the rule of law in practice.
Authors retain copyright. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 
The statements, opinions and data contained in the journal are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publisher and the editor(s). We stay neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
