During the second meeting of the sub-committee for the EU-Bosnia-Herzegovina stabilisation and association agreement on justice, freedom and security on Friday 1 December, the European Commission urged the competent authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina at all levels of governance, and especially the ministry of justice, to ensure the effective implementation of the reform strategy for the judicial sector.
"Consolidating the independence, accountability, efficiency and overall professionalism throughout the judiciary is key to strengthen the rule of law in the country", the Commission stated, according to a press release from the EU delegation in Sarajevo.
According to the Commission, it is also important "to step up efforts in the fight against corruption and organised crime, in particular regarding asset confiscation". There is also a need to take further measures to counter and prevent terrorism and violent extremism, the Commission added.
As regards fundamental rights, the Commission underlined that it was important for the authorities to ensure implementation of anti-discrimination legislation and to guarantee the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression and the of media.
For every domain, the Commission published political recommendations that the Bosnian authorities will have to follow over the coming months in order to strengthen the alignment of country's legislation and practices with European standards and the acquis communautaire.
The European Commissioner for Enlargement Negotiations Johannes Hahn also went to Sarajevo on Monday 4 December (EUROPE will return to this). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)