EP bekritiseert gebrek aan gemeenschappelijke politieke visie Bosnië en Herzegovina (en)

Only a single sovereign state of Bosnia-Hercegovina (BiH) can aspire to join the EU, said the Foreign Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Concerned at the deteriorating political climate in the country, MEPs deplored the "paucity of attention" paid to it by the Council and the "lack of determination" shown by Member States.

The message addressed to Bosnia-Hercegovina's political leaders is clear: "the prospect of EU membership has been offered to BiH as a single country, not to its constituent parts".  Consequently, the "threats of secession or other attempts to undermine the sovereignty of the State are completely unacceptable", stresses the draft resolution adopted by the committee by a large majority on Tuesday.

MEPs regret that BiH politicians are unable to agree on "a common political vision" for their country and complain of their "short-sighted nationalism', which is compromising the goal of coexistence within the European Union.

Constitutional reform must be the priority

"Bosnia-Hercegovina must have sovereignty to enable the state to function", said rapporteur Doris Pack (EPP-ED, DE) during a debate with Commissioner Olli Rehn i. To do this, Bosnia-Hercegovina must complete, as a matter of priority, its constitutional reform, which is prerequisite for meeting the Copenhagen criteria.

This reform must lead to a central state with legislative, budgetary, executive and judicial powers and based on a number of administrative levels which are "proportional to the country's financial resources" and "based on an efficient and effective allocation of responsibilities", says the draft resolution.  The aim is "to reduce the bureaucratic burden" of the current administration, which "absorbs 70% of the national budget", as Doris Pack pointed out.

Boosting the mandate of the High Representative

To accompany these changes, the international community's High Representative (HR) in Bosnia-Hercegovina should assist the authorities of the country to implement the five objectives and two conditions set out by the Peace Implementation Council.  The HR's office must stay in place until these goals have been achieved and ensure implementation of the 1995 Dayton accords, which include "peaceful coexistence within one single State of different ethnic communities".

Clarifying the role of the EU special representative

Turning to the role of the EU special representative for Bosnia-Hercegovina, who was appointed by the Council in March 2009 and whose mandate starts shortly, MEPs urge the Council to grant him a "strong and clearly defined mandate to facilitate the adoption of the reforms" needed and "to promote dialogue with civil society".  He should also have "full and sustained political support" and the authority from the Council necessary "to ensure overall coordination of EU actors".

MEPs also deplore "the paucity of attention paid by the Council to the deterioration of the political climate in BiH and the lack of determination shown so far by Member States to tackle the situation in the country seriously and in a coordinated fashion". 

Ethnic minorities

Lastly, in response to a concern expressed by Green and Socialist MEPs, the draft resolution invokes the European Convention on Human Rights to call for all ethnic communities to enjoy the same rights in Bosnia-Hercegovina. This would entail the abolition of ethnic criteria for candidates for election to political office.

The draft resolution was adopted by 41 votes to 1, with 2 abstentions. Plenary vote: 21 to 24 April (Strasbourg).

31/03/2009

Chair : Jacek Saryusz-Wolski (EPP-ED, PL)