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“Today delegates at the BiH House of Peoples voted in
favour of the EC approved agreement on Police Reform, and by doing so opened to
door to Europe,'' the High Representative said today. "Aside from the passage of
the Public Broadcasting reform, this was the last major roadblock preventing BiH
from starting Stabilisation and Association talks.''
The start of SAA negotiations will mark a decisive shift from post-war
stabilisation on the one hand and transition towards
Europe on the other, he said.
“The start of
SAA negotiations will help
put BiH irreversibly on course to effective statehood. From now on, BiH has a
clear view of its future. The promise of the prosperity offered to each citizen
that comes with association and eventual membership of the EU can be made a
reality,'' he said, noting that no country that has embarked on the road to
Europe through the
SAA process has yet failed
to complete the journey to full membership.
The High Representative added that this agreement lays the political
groundwork for a reform process which makes BiH's policing more effective in the
fight against the growing problem of crime. He pointed out that the next step is
the formation of a Directorate of Police Implementation by 31 December.
The EC approved Agreement on Police reform notes that the job of the
Directorate is to make a plan for implementation that meets the three EC
principles. The Directorate will be made up of professionals and experts from
all levels of authority in BiH.
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