Enlargement Negotiations Commissioner Johannes Hahn called on Wednesday 9 November for Bosnia and Herzegovina to continue to make progress in its reforms.
“Strengthening the rule of law and public administration at all levels of government and improving cooperation between all levels remain a priority”, he said as he presented the 2016 enlargement package to the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee. He also called for the continuation of social and economic reform.
In its 2016 progress report, the Commission points out that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s constitution remains in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights, as per the ruling in the Sejdic-Finci case, and that constitutional court decisions have yet to be fully enforced throughout the country. “More work is required addressing human rights and minorities’ issues”, it adds.
According to the report, too, “the adoption of a new strategic framework for public administration, as well as a strategy on public financial management are needed” and, with politically motivated threats on the judiciary by some politicians in the country continuing in 2016, judicial independence needs also to be strengthened. Cases of political pressure and intimidation against journalists need adequate legal follow up, the Commission says.
Furthermore, while corruption remains a serious problem, the declared political commitment to tackle it has not translated into concrete results, the Commission feels. Bosnia and Herzegovina must also continue its fight against organised crime and complement measures already taken with further steps on foreign terrorist fighters and radicalisation. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)