Speech Rehn over de EU-perspectieven van Bosnië-Herzegovina (en)

SPEECH/06/100

Mr Olli Rehn

Member of the European Commission, responsible for Enlargement

European Parliament

Strasbourg, 15 February 2006

Mr President,

Honourable members,

President in office

Bosnia and Herzegovina is at a crossroads. The country has started to negotiate a Stabilisation and Association agreement with the European Union. A new High Representative/ EU Special Representative has succeeded Paddy Ashdown. Our new man in office, Mr Christian Schwarz-Schilling, is supposed to use executive powers less and leave more tasks in the hands of BiH politicians. We are in an era of increased Bosnian ownership and responsibility.

Before I explain how I see this ownership develop in relation to the SAA negotiations, the changed role of the International community and in relation to constitutional change in the country, let me apologise if I hope this debate can be concluded in time, as I am scheduled to leave this very afternoon with President Jose Barroso i on a roundtrip to the six locations in the Western Balkans.

Stabilisation and Association Process (SAP)/Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA)

Bosnia and Herzegovina is making its way through the Stabilisation and Association Process. I went to Sarajevo in November to officially launch the negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. The first real negotiating round took place on 25 January 2006. It went very well. Our Bosnian partners had prepared thoroughly.

The Commission's working hypothesis is that negotiations will take about 12 months. However, meeting this deadline will require that Bosnia and Herzegovina is able to respond to EU reform requirements.

In this respect, it is essential for Bosnia and Herzegovina to fully co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), to quickly implement the agreement on the restructuring of the police forces, to adopt and implement all necessary public broadcasting legislation and - not least - to ensure sufficient legislative and administrative capacity to implement the Agreement.

Our message is clear: Bosnia and Herzegovina should seize the opportunity that it has at hand. For this, reforms need to continue.

Role of the international community and local ownership

The international community has played an important role in supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina's reforms. But credit is also due to the local authorities, which have been able to achieve significant progress in a rather complex environment.

We hope that progress will continue and that local political ownership will increase further. We are ready to support this process. Our objective is to help Bosnia and Herzegovina to achieve full normalisation, and I think that we are on the right track.

Sustained efforts are now necessary. I believe that the EU perspective is a good catalyser and that it will help the country to fully take its destiny in hand.

The international community will adapt its role to these evolving circumstances. The more the country is able to demonstrate maturity and political ownership, the less the international community will need to intervene.

I met with the new HR/EUSR, Mr Christian Schwarz-Schilling two days ago. He very much shares this view on a new the role for the international community. It may require patience all sides, as BiH develop the necessary know-how, but there is no way around learning by doing.

The Commission is committed to continue helping Bosnia and Herzegovina to consolidate democracy, maintain stability and progress towards its socio-economic and EU integration objectives.

Constitutional reform

The reform of the "Dayton Constitution" is another important task Bosnian political leaders need to undertake. The country needs a constitution that:

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  ensures full compatibility with the European Convention for Human Rights;
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  allows smooth decision-making and proper governance;
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  streamlines the various level of government and makes it less costly.

It is necessary for the country to develop a democratic, functional and affordable multi-ethnic state able to serve better all its citizens and to support the reforms that EU integration entails.

I welcome the recent efforts by the leading political parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina to find practical and workable solutions to constitutional challenges. I encourage political leaders to continue their dialogue so as to achieve more ambitious results. I do not expect a constitional revolution to take place, rather an evolution. Indeed, I consider that constitutional reform has to be a consensus-driven process with Bosnia and Herzegovina clearly in the lead. The international community can act as facilitator, but BiH Bosnian politicians must be in the driving seat.

The constitutional reform is not "per se" a condition for concluding the negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement. But Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to make sure that constitutional provisions guarantee the proper implementation of the Agreement.

I look forward to engage with the EP again at a future occasion on developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.