Brussels, 09/09/2004 (Agence Europe) - With the forthcoming Force Generation Conference on 14 September, which is expected to provide accurate information on personnel and equipment contributions from the European Union to the ALTHEA operation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Political and Security Committee (COPS) this week adopted the "CONOPS" (Concept of Operation), which constitutes the first stage in military planning. This document, which precedes OPLAN on operational modalities, provides a still rather general framework for planning objectives, military goals and operational conduct. It also outlines certain modalities on deployment and the regular rotation of the 7,000 troops of the future European force taking over from NATO in Bosnia.
COPS also received a visit from the EU Special Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Paddy Ashdown, who examined the situation in the country. While appearing more optimistic than in the past (he said among other things that he was pleased to see tourists coming back to Mostar and Sarajevo), Mr Ashdown criticised the lack of co-operation from the Républika Srpska with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. Nine years after the events, the Serbian part of Bosnia-Herzegovina has still not handed in a single war criminal. Paddy Ashdown also highlighted the need to communicate to the population (within the framework of the ALTHEA mission) that the European Union operation was a radically different organisation to that of NATO. The Special Representative concluded by underlining possible prospects for Bosnia joining the EU. (Source: Atlantic News).