Brussels, 03/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - Early in the morning of 3 December, Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Füle announced progress by the Bosnian leaders on implementing the Sejdic-Finci ruling of the European Court of Justice - especially with regard to the House of Peoples. After 16 hours of talks in Prague with the leaders of the seven main political parties from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the leaders managed to agree in principle on the composition and method of selection of the “delegates of the House of Peoples”, Füle said. He announced that “important progress” had also been made on the main principles for the election of the members of the Presidency.
Füle called on the leaders to continue their work. “Now it is necessary that the political leaders remain committed and continue their efforts to find the solution on the last remaining element for the election of the members of the Presidency”, he said, adding that “only then, can Bosnia and Herzegovina start to move again on its European path”. Füle hailed the determination of the leaders to continue to look for solutions to bring the country back to the European track.
Füle said that he was determined, after consultations with High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, to send “colleagues” - experts and representatives from his office - back to Bosnia and Herzegovina soon (possibly this week) to continue the dialogue with the political leaders. If they come close to an agreement, another time and place will be set for a meeting with Füle.
On 1 October, Füle and the leaders of the political parties agreed on different measures to help make progress on the implementation of the European Court of Justice's Sejdic-Finci ruling and on the coordination mechanism on European issues. They initially agreed to discuss this on 10 October (see EUROPE 10934). (CG/transl.fl)