Following the suspension of institutional negotiations on police reform until Monday, the High Representative warned that time for reaching an agreement is running out. An agreement on police reform must be reached in order for BiH to receive a green light to start negotiations on a Stabilization and Association Agreement by the tenth anniversary of Dayton , he said.

Last night the European Commission re-iterated the three principles according to which the BiH authorities are expected to reach an agreement on police reform. Namely: securing the exclusive state-level competences on police, the elimination of political interference from police and ensuring that police regions are determined on the basis of technical and professional criteria.

``These principles have been known to the authorities for the past eleven months. They are crystal clear. They will not change. Those who attempt to re-negotiate these principles fail to understand the dynamics of EU integration,'' said the High Representative.

``Delaying tactics will only set back BiH's accession to the EU. Either the RS representatives negotiate in good faith, on the basis of the three criteria, or the gates to the EU will remain closed,'' he added.