Story perspectives

US-Backed Bosnia-Croatia Pipeline Sparks EU Procurement Fears

4/29/2026

Summary

Story summary

Southern Interconnection project financed by a U.S. company tied to President Donald Trump’s allies, raising EU procurement and accession concerns.
On April 28, 2026 Croatia and Bosnia agreed on a $1.5 billion pipeline linking Bosnia to Croatia’s LNG terminal, with U.S. firm AAFS.
EU Ambassador Luigi Soreca and Transparency International Bosnia’s Ivana Korajlic warned that procurement could breach EU rules, jeopardize accession and cost Bosnia up to €374 million of EU funding.

History

Historical Context

After the 1993 Copenhagen criteria set strict democratic and market standards, the EU admitted ten Central-European states in the 2004 enlargement, proving that compliance governs accession. Bosnia and Herzegovina received candidate status in December 2022, but a controversial pipeline threatens to breach those rules, risking EU blockage that could postpone its eventual membership.

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Story summary

Southern Interconnection project financed by a U.S. company tied to President Donald Trump’s allies, raising EU procurement and accession concerns.
On April 28, 2026 Croatia and Bosnia agreed on a $1.5 billion pipeline linking Bosnia to Croatia’s LNG terminal, with U.S. firm AAFS.
EU Ambassador Luigi Soreca and Transparency International Bosnia’s Ivana Korajlic warned that procurement could breach EU rules, jeopardize accession and cost Bosnia up to €374 million of EU funding.

1 / 2