Štefan Füle, Commissioner for Enlargement and the European Neighbourhood Policy
Op-Ed by Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy
I have followed the recent events in Bosnia and Herzegovina with great concern. There is a special connection between your country and the EU, because you are working towards membership, and we care about progress and development in Bosnia and Herzegovina. If Bosnia and Herzegovina stagnates, that is against everything the EU stands for.
Do not doubt that we have heard the voices on the streets of Tuzla, Sarajevo and many other places. I come to Sarajevo again this Monday. The EU is committed towards BiH citizens; a commitment that was reiterated also last week by EU Foreign Ministers at their meeting in Brussels.
In recent days we saw citizens legitimately calling for better socio-economic conditions, a real fight against corruption, the chance to get a job on merit alone, transparency in the management of public funds and in the privatisation process. These are familiar issues: the other countries in the region are dealing with exactly the same challenges as they too move towards the EU. Similar topics are recurrent themes at different times also on the streets of some of the EU capitals. Let me add that there and here we absolutely condemn all violence, whether against citizens, police, journalists or public property.
Next week in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I will share my belief with the political leaders that this is not the time for confrontations between political parties. This is about the core issues of a functional state and citizens´ well-being.
We are all familiar with the urgent need for Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the ‘Sejdic and Finci’ judgment of the European Court of Human Rights. Although this may sound far away issue from people’s everyday problems, it actually is an important key to progress. It will eliminate discrimination, it will mean that BiH respects its own commitments, and it will therefore open the way for BiH to take advantage of millions of euros of EU financial assistance over the next 6 years. It will also lead to the entry into force of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and the finalisation of the coordination mechanism needed for the cooperation with the EU – and all this will then create the right circumstances to submit a credible application for EU membership.
I remain fully committed to work to facilitate a consensus on getting out of the current stalemate – and help BiH finally move over the bridge from Dayton to the EU, which would then allow constitutional and other challenges to be tackled.
I strongly believe that the best way to address the socio-economic challenges of this country, including creating employment and growth, is to get the European integration process moving again in BiH. 10 years ago, in the 2004 enlargement of the EU, we saw in my own country how the EU reforms, before and after joining, transformed our society. We want the same for you – not because of politics, not because of economics but because it provides the opportunity for a better life.
It is now the moment for all to take their part of responsibility. Well-being of citizens and good functioning of the state is the common.
