On Wednesday 5 July, the Chair of the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, David McAllister (EPP, German), the permanent rapporteur for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paulo Rangel (EPP, Portuguese), and the Chair of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, Romeo Franz (Greens/EFA, German), called on the European Commission and the Council of the EU to impose sanctions on the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik (see EUROPE 13212/28).
“We can no longer allow a brazen secessionist and his followers to systematically undermine Bosnia and Herzegovina”, insisted the three MEPs in a joint letter.
These statements come after Mr Dodik had the Republika Srpska National Assembly pass a law on 27 June stating that the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia-Herzegovina are no longer applicable within the political entity.
The very next day, the European External Action Service deplored this vote and emphasised the fact that “the National Assembly of Republika Srpska does not have the power to decide not to apply the decisions of the Constitutional Court”.
In the wake of this, the High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Christian Schmidt, decided on 1 July to repeal these laws and the changes made to the Criminal Code of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
“The EU’s credibility is at stake. Given the gravity of the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the European Union cannot just verbally align with the High Representative’s decisions. It needs to support him with specific own initiatives”, added the MEPs.
“It is high time for the EU and its Member States to finally impose targeted sanctions on Milorad Dodik - who is already under US and UK sanctions - and his allies, if necessary on a bilateral level”, they added. (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)