The logo for 2013 Bosnian census | Photo: Popis 2013

Pieter Everaers, a representative from Eurostat, the European agency for statistics, on Thursday met the three main statistical agencies of Bosnia – the Statistical Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the institute for statistics of Republika Srpska and the institute for statistics of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Together, they agreed a roadmap with a clear timeframe to proceed with publication of the long-awaited 2013 census in the following months.

The Statistical Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina said Eurostat asked the three agencies to resolve all their outstanding methodology disputes “within three weeks”, Mirsada Adembegovic, the spokesperson of the agency, told BIRN on Thursday.

“Everaers also recommended to the three statistical agencies to process the data from the census in accordance with international standards, respecting the principle of the independence of statistical institutions from politics,” Adembegovic added.

According to a statement published by the three agencies after the meeting, “if all the disputes are settled within three weeks, the first final results of the census will be published in June”.

Bosnian authorities held the general census in October 2013. However, due to methodological disagreements between the statistical institutes of the country’s two entities, the Republika Srpska and the Federation, publication of the final results has been delayed.

So far, authorities have only published partial data on the total size of the population and its distribution. Other key data – including the number of permanent residents in different areas, which is the subject of a dispute between the two entities’ statistical agencies, is still missing.

Recently, the European Commission again called on the Bosnian authorities to release the complete data of the 2013 census, warning that any future membership application to the European Union will not be credible if the results of the census are not published first.