The European Parliament stressed, on Wednesday 6 July, the importance of expressing a message of support and offering a credible membership perspective to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The granting of candidate status could help to calm nationalist rhetoric, reduce ethnic divisions, create optimism and the prospect of a better European future for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina”, says the European Parliament in the report by Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portugal) which they adopted (479 votes in favour, 81 against and 75 abstentions), noting the European Council’s invitation to the Commission to report back to the EU Council without delay on the implementation of the 14 key priorities set out in its opinion (see EUROPE 12978/2).
The Parliament recalls that “the pace of progress of EU membership depends on the implementation of reforms aimed at ensuring the proper functioning of democratic institutions based on the Rule of law, good governance and fundamental rights”.
MEPs welcome the 12 June political agreement (see EUROPE 12970/17), urging all Bosnian political actors to respect the agreement and also calling for an end to the political stalemate in the country. They stress the importance of holding “fair, open, transparent and inclusive” general elections in 2022, as planned, and implementing the results. The European Parliament also calls for progress on the independence of the judiciary, constitutional reform, the Rule of law in state institutions, the fight against corruption and organised crime, freedom of the media, an enabling environment for civil society and the protection of vulnerable groups.
MEPs also strongly denounce all hateful rhetoric and disruptive acts, especially by the leaders of the Republika Srpska entity.
Finally, the European Parliament considers it imperative to extend the mandate of EUFOR ALTHEA beyond November 2022.
See the report: https://aeur.eu/f/2i1 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)