The final public debate “Together with Europe” took place in Sarajevo on Thursday, May 8th 2008 and marked the end of the public campaign launched last year and organised in the 21 municipalities/cities throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina. The campaign was organised by the Delegation of the European Commission to Bosnia and Herzegovina together with the EU institutions, the Directorate for European Integration of BiH and EU Info Centres.
On this occasion, H.E. Ambassador Dimitris Kourkoulas, the Head of the European Commission Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Osman Topčagić, the Director of the Directorate for the European Integration of BiH, and Mr. Predrag Mitrović, the Deputy Mayor of Sarajevo signed the “Declaration on European future of Bosnia and Herzegovina” as an indication of support for the process of European integration and the progress Bosnia and Herzegovina has achieved on its road to the European Union. European Union Special Representative/High Representative, Miroslav Lajcak, also attended the ceremony and addressed the participants.
Ambassador Kourkoulas stressed that there are no shortcuts in the EU integration process and that progress should be made by all the segments of BiH society. Civil society has a central role to play in the EU integration process of the candidate and potential candidate countries and their transformation into modern European democracies, underlined ambassador Kourkoulas and mentioned that EU had announced the establishment of a new financing facility to promote civil society development and dialogue. He reminded the participants that the building of European Union has never been an easy process, and said that Bosnia and Herzegovina‘s path to the European Union will not be an easy process either, but the European Union will make that journey together with you as your partner.
EU Special Representative Miroslav Lajcak noted that the European path offers one and only strategy for the development and progress in BiH. Therefore, he underlined importance of all citizens being aware of the necessity to jointly participate in that process. Ambassador Lajcak used this opportunity to congratulate every citizen of Bosnia and Herzegovina the forthcoming Europe Day (May 9) and concluded by saying: The message is clear – Bosnia and Herzegovina is committed to Europe.
Mr. Topčagić explained that the objective of the campaign “Together with Europe” was to provide more information about the European integration process and the requirements that Bosnia and Herzegovina must fulfil on its European path to the citizens and the non-governmental sector on the local level. According to him, the outcome of “Together with Europe” campaign is an important way to contribute to the new dynamics in the process of EU integration of BiH.
In his address, the Deputy Major Petrović confirmed the committment and orientation of the City of Sarajevo towards the European Union, aware that the opportunitites for further development are in the faster process of the EU integration.
About “Together with Europe”
From the 18th of October 2007 until the 8th of May 2008 public debates and visits to the municipalities have taken place in: Banjaluka, Bihać, Prijedor, Tuzla, Pale, Goražde, Mostar, Široki Brijeg, Livno, Jajce, Rudo, Foča, Neum, Grude, Brčko District, Bijeljina, Zenica, Doboj, Trebinje and Bileća. Nearly one thousand people participated in the public debates; the attendance ranged from 16 participants in Grude to 120 in Jajce.
The public debates have been designed to provide the EU Family and DEI representatives with the possibility to discuss the significance of the EU integration process for Bosnia and Herzegovina. More importantly, the public debates have been an opportunity for the local community representatives, citizens, NGO’s and media representatives to get better insight into the requirements, benefits and stakeholders within the EU integration process.
All municipalities have signed the “Declaration of the European Future of Bosnia and Herzegovina” as a sign of support for the process of European integration.
