Deliveries under the European Peace Facility are upgrading the military capacities of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Assistant Minister of Defence for International Cooperation (BiH) Zoran Šajinović and Deputy Head of Unit Francesca Pessina (EPF) co-chaired the Steering Committee for the second EPF assistance measure for Bosnia and Herzegovina. This followed a visit to Camp Rajlovac to oversee the deliveries, which kicked off in December 2023 and are progressing swiftly. The items include sate-of-the art field furniture, vehicles, engineering equipment, IT and communication, and tools for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection and decontamination. Over the last year, more than half of the equipment procured under the EPF has arrived in Sarajevo and has been handed over to the Tactical Support Brigade of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina (AFBiH).

The donations are not only boosting the operational capabilities of the AFBiH and ensuring a safer deployment, but they will also support the military units in their contribution to EU Common Security and Defence Policy missions and operations. The measure was established on 1 December 2022 by Council Decision (CFSP) 2022/2353 and is being implemented by the Central Project Management Agency from Lithuania.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is currently benefitting from two EPF bilateral measures amounting to EUR 20 million overall as well as a regional measure for the Balkan Medical Task Force. The EPF assistance is part of the wider cooperation between the EU and Western Balkans on security and defence, which includes six EPF assistance measures to date, for an overall amount of EUR 61 million.