The agreement was signed in June, just before Croatia joined the European Union, to align the crossing of the border and the transport of goods with EU criteria. The Bosnian lower house was to have discussed its ratification last week, but the item was taken off the agenda for further discussion at the request of Serb MPs.
The agreement puts in a subordinate position all business people, notably those from the Serb entity, because only two border crossings are envisaged for animal products and four for plant products, the latter all in the (Croat-Bosniak) Federation entity, said Lazar Prodanovic of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats.
Some municipalities along the Croatian border also complained about the border crossing reclassification, prompting the Bosnian Presidency to request on August 8 that the agreement be amended.
Serb Democratic Party president Mladen Bosic said European Commission representatives told him they were surprised that Bosnian representatives had not insisted in the negotiations "on more adequate locations for the six inspection crossings."
Dragan Vrankic of the HDZ BiH party agreed that the agreement should be changed, but only after ratification in the state parliament and then the Presidency. He said the EC would not object to the changes if Bosnia and Croatia agreed on them.
Croatia does not need to meet Bosnia's demands until the existing agreement is ratified, as confirmed by Bosnian Assistant Foreign Minister Zoran Perkovic.
Bosnian Council of Ministers Chairman Vjekoslav Bevanda, Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija and Security Minister Fahrudin Radoncic are expected to discuss the matter with parliament's leaders by the end of the month in an attempt to find a way out.