The High Representative and EU Special Representative (HR/EUSR), Valentin Inzko, called in Brussels today for renewed efforts to “kick start” fulfilment of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s European Partnership priorities.

The HR/EUSR was in Brussels to address the Political and Security Committee (PSC), the European Union’s key foreign policy body.

“The Stabilization and Association Agreement has been ratified and the first amendment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution has been adopted. These are positive moves, however, the overall political situation continues to be of concern,” he told the PSC.

The HR/EUSR told the PSC that the economic situation in the country, particularly in the Federation, is increasingly alarming. He stressed the need to improve fiscal coordination and refocus attention on the task of creating “a genuine single economic space”.

To integrate into the European Union, Bosnia and Herzegovina must itself integrate and the country can only progress in a constructive political atmosphere. The responsibility for taking the country forwards lies with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political leaders and officials. “There is now a need to refocus the attention on the EU agenda and ‘kick-start’ the reforms contained in the European Partnership priorities”, the HR/EUSR told the PSC. The EU confirmed its commitment towards Bosnia and Herzegovina, now the country’s leaders and authorities should demonstrate concretely their own commitment towards the EU.

Fulfilling the remaining objectives set by the PIC Steering Board and enabling a positive assessment of the situation in BiH by the PIC Steering Board based on full compliance with the Dayton Peace Agreement is a prerequisite for OHR transition to EUSR as well as for the country’s political, economic and social approximation with the EU.

Setting out the conclusions of last week’s Peace Implementation Council Steering Board (PIC SB) meeting, the HR/EUSR noted that the PIC SB was not in a position to take a decision on transition from OHR to a stand alone EUSR, for the simple reason that the five objectives and two conditions set by the PIC SB had not been met.

“The Peace Implementation Council Steering Board was unanimous,” he said, and “it is BiH’s authorities’ responsibility as well as my first priority to find acceptable agreements on state and immovable defence property to move the country forward.”

The process of domestic political dialogue and compromise that began in Prud must be encouraged and broadened. At the same time the Brcko agreement along with a number of other positive developments show that the international community continue to play an important role in facilitating the political process,” he concluded.