Deadline: 17-Jun-2026
The European Commission is funding a EUR 1,000,000 Twinning project to harmonise Bosnia and Herzegovina’s official statistics with EU standards. The initiative strengthens statistical institutions, improves data quality and methodology, and supports EU accession requirements through enhanced coordination and capacity building across national statistical agencies.
Overview of the Initiative
This European Union–funded Twinning project is designed to modernise and strengthen the statistical system of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It supports alignment with the European Union acquis and improves the production of reliable, timely, and harmonised statistical data.
The project is implemented under the IPA III Annual Action Programme 2022 as part of broader EU support for public administration reform and EU integration readiness.
Key Objectives
The initiative focuses on institutional strengthening and statistical harmonisation.
Key objectives include:
- Aligning national statistics with EU standards
- Strengthening institutional capacity of statistical bodies
- Improving data quality, reliability, and timeliness
- Enhancing coordination among statistical institutions
- Expanding use of administrative data sources
- Improving metadata and quality reporting systems
- Supporting EU accession preparedness
- Strengthening evidence-based policymaking
Institutional Framework
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s statistical system includes multiple coordinated institutions.
Key institutions involved:
- Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Institute for Statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Republika Srpska Institute of Statistics
- Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The project aims to improve cooperation and harmonisation among these bodies through shared methodologies and standards.
Focus Areas of Statistical Development
The project targets several priority statistical domains.
Key focus areas include:
- Social statistics
- Macroeconomic statistics
- Business registers and enterprise statistics
- Sectoral statistics development
- Environmental statistics
- Energy statistics
- Research and development statistics
- Quality management systems
- European System of Accounts compliance
Capacity Building Activities
The initiative supports technical and institutional strengthening.
Core activities include:
- Harmonisation of statistical methodologies with EU standards
- Training and institutional capacity development
- Strengthening quality assurance systems
- Enhancing data collection and processing systems
- Improving statistical coordination mechanisms
- Expanding use of administrative data sources
- Developing metadata frameworks and reporting standards
Strategic Policy Alignment
The project supports national and EU-aligned strategic frameworks.
Key frameworks include:
- Strategic Development of Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2030
- Statistical Programme of Bosnia and Herzegovina 2025–2028
- EU acquis alignment requirements
- EU4 Public Administration Reform programme
EU Integration Context
Bosnia and Herzegovina has been an EU candidate country since December 2022. Strengthening statistical systems is a key requirement for EU accession.
Improved statistics are essential for:
- Monitoring economic and social reforms
- Supporting policy decision-making
- Ensuring compliance with EU statistical standards
- Tracking Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- Enhancing governance transparency and accountability
Expected Outcomes
The Twinning project is expected to deliver long-term institutional and technical improvements.
Expected outcomes include:
- Fully harmonised statistical methodologies with EU standards
- Improved institutional coordination across statistical agencies
- Higher quality and more reliable national statistics
- Strengthened capacity for data production and analysis
- Enhanced compliance with EU statistical regulations
- Better support for evidence-based governance and planning
Funding Overview
- Total EU funding: EUR 1,000,000
- Programme type: Twinning project
- Framework: IPA III Annual Action Programme 2022
Importance of the Initiative
This project is significant because it:
- Strengthens governance and public administration systems
- Supports Bosnia and Herzegovina’s EU accession process
- Improves national data reliability and transparency
- Enhances statistical infrastructure and coordination
- Enables better socio-economic planning and policy development
- Aligns national systems with European statistical standards
Conclusion
The European Commission’s Twinning project in Bosnia and Herzegovina is a strategic initiative to modernise the country’s statistical system and align it with EU standards. By improving institutional capacity, data quality, and methodological harmonisation, the programme plays a key role in supporting EU integration and strengthening evidence-based policymaking.
For more information, visit European Commission.