At the Foreign Affairs Council Meeting that took place in Luxembourg yesterday, the Council adopted the following conclusions:
“The Council recalls its conclusions of July 2013. It expresses serious concern that the third meeting of the High-Level Dialogue on the Accession Process (HLDAP) in October 2013 did not bring the expected results, and in particular at the on-going failure of the Bosnia and Herzegovina political leaders to implement the ECtHR ruling in the Sejdić/Finci case.
The Council expresses its full support to the facilitation efforts led by the EU Special Representative/Head of Delegation and the Commission on this issue. It underlines that it is up to the Bosnia and Herzegovina political leaders to make the necessary progress. It stresses that the current lack of a solution of the Sejdić/Finci issue is preventing Bosnia and Herzegovina to further progress towards the EU. The Council will discuss the issue at its meeting in November.
The Council welcomes the continued presence of Operation Althea, focusing on capacity-building and training while also retaining the capability to contribute to the Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities’ deterrence capacity if the situation so requires. In this context, as part of the overall EU strategy for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Council confirms the EU’s readiness to continue at this stage an executive military role to support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s authorities to maintain the safe and secure environment, under a renewed UN mandate.
It reiterates its agreement to keep the operation under regular review, including on the basis of the situation on the ground, with a view to making progress on the conditions conducive to the delivery of its mandate.
(Source: Council of the European Union)
