Strasbourg, 24/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - During a visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina on 20-23 May the president of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), Mercedes Bresso, made an appeal on Tuesday 22 May to Bosnia Herzegovina to set up “enhanced coordination mechanisms between all the different levels of government, as well as better cohesion, so as to successfully open up the way to accession”. According to Bresso, locally elected representatives are the best allies of national political leaders when it comes to explaining both the benefits and the duties inherent in EU membership and identifying solutions, in a spirit of cohesion for the whole country. Bresso subsequently announced the possibility of swiftly setting up a joint advisory committee between the Committee of the Regions and Bosnia Herzegovina, in view of enhancing cooperation between Bosnia Herzegovina's regional and local representatives and the EU.
The director-general all of the European Commission's DG Enlargement also participated in this visit and explained that the Committee of the Regions “has an invaluable role to play in the Western Balkans, and especially in Bosnia and Herzegovina where its expertise in multilevel governance may inspire the institutional and political leaders of the country to speak with one voice in the process of EU integration, while engaging and coordinating all sub-state entities”. (CG/transl.fl)