EU en Bosnië en Herzegovina herstarten toetredingsonderhandelingen (en)

European Commission

MEMO

Brussels, 10 October 2013

EU-BiH: After the 3rd round of High Level Dialogue on Accession Process

The representatives of the European Commission, and institutional and political leaders from Bosnia and Herzegovina concluded the third meeting of the High Level Dialogue on Accession Process in Brussels, after it was interrupted on 1 October. Commissioner Štefan Füle who chaired the meeting issued these conclusions:

• 1. 

  Bosnia and Herzegovina's perspective to become a European Union Member State remains. In this respect, the third meeting of the High Level Dialogue on the Accession Process which has been interrupted on 1 October and resumed today is a signal of the European Commission’s strong and continuous commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina and its people.

• 2. 

  The High Level Dialogue is a continuous process of Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European integration path.

• 3. 

  All main political stakeholders and the heads of authorities at State and Entity level have agreed to continue on the European path and will continue internal debates to find solutions to the pressing issues. The sequence of the Roadmap for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European Union Membership Application as agreed in June 2012 in Brussels remains. However, none of the commitments undertaken by political leaders and institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the declaration signed on 1 October have been honoured, although they agreed on principles.

• 4. 

  The implementation of the Sejdić/Finci ruling is necessary to eliminate an important discrimination against minorities and the breach of Bosnia and Herzegovina's international obligations as underlined by the Council Conclusions of 22 July 2013. A solution needs to be agreed by the political leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina without delay so that it can be applied for the general elections of 2014. Another election in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights would seriously undermine the legitimacy and credibility of the future elected bodies. Yet despite repeated commitments by political leaders to present an agreed solution, none has been forthcoming.

• 5. 

  There is a principled agreement that has been elaborated during the negotiations of recent days. The leaders have the duty to take this forward now.

• 6. 

  The Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) grants funds to countries on an accession path. The absence of a solution on Sejdić-Finci blocks the accession path of the country and hence makes it difficult to justify the granting of IPA funds. Therefore procedures for reducing the initially foreseen IPA 2013 programme for Bosnia and Herzegovina by 54%, i.e. € 47 million will be launched. If there is a solution that could be developed over the next days, this procedure could still be stopped.

• 7. 

  Some progress was reached on the definition of a co-ordination mechanism on EU matters. Bosnia and Herzegovina needs such mechanism in order for the country to speak with one voice and interact better with the EU. This is vital, in particular in cases where legislative and administrative competences are at the levels of the Entities, including the Cantons in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Brčko District. Continued funding under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) will be conditional upon the establishment of such mechanism. It is now the task of the institutions at all levels of government to establish a fully functioning co-ordination mechanism on EU matters.

• 8. 

  As was explained repeatedly to the Council of Ministers Chairman, the Prime Ministers of the entities and the Brcko mayor, as long as this co-ordination mechanism is not functioning, no programming for the new Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA II) can be considered. Each year of delay in programming results in substantial losses of grant money otherwise available to the country.

• 9. 

  The Commission is also intensifying its co-ordination with International Financial Institutions which are present in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The EU grants are facilitating substantial loans to the country's infrastructure.

• 10. 

  The fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is rejecting the well-established methodology of adapting the SAA/IA protocol is unacceptable to the European Union and the EU and its Member States will consider how to respond. The Commission will open an official consultations process in order to find a solution to this ongoing dispute. Therefore an extraordinary meeting of the Interim Committee will be called very soon. .

• 11. 

  The European Union continues to keep its commitments. On 26 September the EU disbursed the second and final tranche of €50 million in Macro-Financial Assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia and Herzegovina is called upon to show the same reliability as a political partner and fulfil all its commitments.

• 12. 

  The Commission is expecting information by the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina as soon as they have fulfilled the two minimum conditions to move forward in its interaction with the EU, a solution to the Sejdić-Finci issue and the establishment of a co-ordination mechanism. The Commission will decide when it would be useful to call another meeting of this High Level Dialogue.